John  Mackenzie 
South  African  Missionary 
and  Statesman 


PRINCETON,  N.  J.  *^ 


Purchased  by  the  Hamill  Missionary  Fund. 

"f^^!"2ie,  W.  Douglas  1859 
John  Mackenzie 


OHN  MACKENZIE 


SOUTH  AFRICAN  MISSIONARY  AND 
STATESMAN.  BY    W.  DOUGLAS 

MACKENZIE,  M.A.    professor  of 

SYSTEMATIC  THEOLOGY  IN  THE 
CHICAGO  THEOLOGICAL  SEMINARY 


A.  C.  ARMSTRONG  &  SON,  3  &  5  WEST  18TH  STREET 
LONDON :  HODDER  &  STOUGHTON 


NEW  YORK 


1902 


Digitized  by 

the  Internet  Archive 

in  2015 

https://archive.org/details/johnmackenziesouOOmack_0 


THE  DIRECTORS  AND  OFFICERS 


OF  THE 

LONDON  MISSIONARY  SOCIETY 

WHO  SHOWED  SO  WISE  A  SYMPATHY 
FOR  HIM  IN  HIS  MOST 
BURDENED  YEARS 

THIS  BIOGRAPHY 

OF  ONE  WHO  REGARDED  THEM 
WITH  A  MOST  LOYAL  LOVE 

IS  GRATEFULLY  DEDICATED 


vi 


PREFACE 


my  father's  lifework.  He  was  drawn  into  it  gradually, 
irresistibly,  for  the  sake  of  his  mission  work.  His 
was  the  kind  of  nature  which  cannot  think  of  religion 
and  religious  work,  except  in  relation  to  the  whole 
round  of  human  interests  and  activities.  For  such 
men,  it  is  hard,  nay  impossible,  to  see  the  Kingdom  of 
God  suffering  from  the  very  forces  which  it  ought  to 
control,  without  loud  protest  and  active  resistance.  It 
has  been  no  pleasant  task  to  study  closely  the  records 
of  my  father's  efforts  to  persuade  the  British  Govern- 
ment, between  the  years  1882  and  1891,  to  adopt 
a  South  African  policy  which  would  have  prevented 
the  horrors  of  this  great  war.  He  failed,  not  for  lack 
of  earnest  and  powerful  supporters  of  his  policy 
throughout  the  country,  but  because  the  Government 
was  persuaded  to  adopt  a  form  of  Imperialism  which 
may  not,  for  long  years  to  come,  be  applicable  in 
South  Africa — however  excellent  its  results  may  have 
been  in  Canada  and  Australasia. 

The  Confederation  of  South  Africa  is  a  dream 
which  Lord  Carnarvon  tried  to  hurry  in  one  direction, 
with  disaster  to  Sir  Bartle  Frere.  It  is  a  dream  which 
the  Africander  Bond  has  tried  to  hurry  in  another 
direction,  with  disaster  to  the  two  Republics.  The 
difficulty  of  confederation  in  South  Africa  lies  ulti- 
mately, not  in  the  mere  rivalry  of  the  two  European 
races,  but  in  the  existence  of  the  great  and  ever 
growing  native  population.  I  believe  that  the  deepest 
and  wisest  words  on  that  difficulty  and  on  the  way  to 
meet  it  are  to  be  found  in  my  father's  writings  ;  and 


PREFACE 


vii 


I  trust  that  readers  of  the  biography  may  obtain 
enough  Hght  upon  it  to  wish  for  more.  Unhappy  the 
Government  that  tries  to  solve  the  permanently  por- 
tentous problem  of  South  Africa,  while  treating  the 
native  aspect  of  that  problem,  incidentally  or  super- 
ficially !  It  has  always  been  and  is  very  close  to  the 
heart  of  the  whole  matter,  a  responsibility  that  has 
already  worked  its  own  terrific  revenges,  a  challenge  to 
the  nobleness  of  Great  Britain  that  no  mockery  can 
ever  silence. 

It  remains  to  record  my  gratitude  to  various  kind 
helpers  in  this  undertaking.  My  father's  dear  and 
long  tried  friends  the  Rev.  James  Ross  of  Glasgow, 
Mr  Charles  G.  Gates  of  Meanwoodside,  Leeds,  and 
Mr  Henry  Beard  of  Cape  Town,  furnished  me  with 
letters  from  my  father,  and  with  valuable  memoranda 
of  their  own.  Principal  A.  W.  W.  Dale,  of  University 
College,  Liverpool,  sent  a  bundle  of  letters  addressed 
to  his  father,  the  late  Dr  R.  W.  Dale  of  Birmingham, 
and  Mr  W.  T.  Stead  let  me  have  a  number  of  equally 
important  letters  addressed  to  himself.  The  Right 
Honourable  Lord  Knutsford  sent  several  letters  of  the 
year  1891,  with  an  explanatory  note  of  his  own  ;  and 
Mr  Arthur  H.  Loring  who,  with  Mr  H.  O.  Arnold 
Forster,  worked  most  faithfully  for  the  South  African 
Committee,  when  that  Committee  laboured  to  promote 
my  father's  views,  gave  me  useful  information  and 
some  documents.  Lieut. -General  Sir  Charles  Warren, 
K.C.M.G.,  took  much  interest  in  the  proposed  memorial 
of  his  old  friend  and  fellow-worker,  but  was  prevented 


viii 


PREFACE 


by  his  appointment  to  active  service  from  carrying  out 
his  intention  of  rendering  further  aid.  I  have  also  to 
thank  the  Rev.  R.  Wardlaw  Thompson,  Foreign 
Secretary  of  the  London  Missionary  Society,  and  the 
Directors,  for  permission  to  search  the  files  of  their 
South  African  Correspondence. 

It  is  perhaps  right  to  add  that  the  appearance  of 
this  book  has  been  delayed  by  two  illnesses,  which 
overtook  the  author  at  periods  when  he  had  expected 
comparative  freedom  from  other  duties. 

Much  and  special  gratitude  is  due  to  the  Rev. 
James  Ross  of  Glasgow,  for  undertaking  the  task  of 
reading  the  proof  sheets.  W.  D.  M. 


CONTENTS 


Preface  ..... 

CHAPTER  I 
From  Knockando  to  Bedford  (1835- 1855) 

CHAPTER  II 
From  Bedford  to  Cape  Town  (1855-1858) 

CHAPTER  III 
"  Wanderjahre  "  (1858- 1 864) 

CHAPTER  IV 
The  First  Period  at  Shoshong  (1864-1871) 


CHAPTER  V 
The  Second  Period  at  Shoshong  (1871-1876) 


X 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER  VI 

PAGE 

'By-Products'  of   a   Missionary's   Career  (1871- 

1876)  160 

CHAPTER  VII 
The  Moffat  Institution  (1871-1882)    .        .  .179 

CHAPTER  VIII 
KuRUMAN— An  Unpaid  Administrator  (1877- 1879)    •  204 

CHAPTER  IX 

KuRUMAN— John  Mackenzie's  Choice  (1879- 1882)      •  227 
CHAPTER  X 

England— The  Missionary  as  Political  Educator 

(1882,  1883)  257 

CHAPTER  XI 

England— The    Transvaal    Delegates    and  the 

London  Convention  (1883,  1884)  .        .        .  278 


CONTENTS 


xi 


CHAPTER  XII 

I'AGE 

Africa— John  Mackenzie  as  Deputy  Commissioner 

(1884)  310 

CHAPTER  XIII 
Africa— The  Rousing  of  the  Cape  Colony  (1884, 

1885)  352 

CHAPTER  XIV 
Africa— The  Warren  Expedition  (1885)        .         .  374 

CHAPTER  XV 
England — "Baffled  to  Fight  Better"  (1885- 1887)  .  395 

CHAPTER  XVI 
England— The  Rejection  of  a  Prophet  (1888,  1889)  416 

CHAPTER  XVII 
England— The  Saving  of  Bechuanaland  (1890,  1891)  439 


CHAPTER  XVIII 
Africa— Manysided  Work  at  Hankey  (i 891 -1898)    .  469 


xii 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER  XIX 

PAGE 

Africa— Last  Contributions  to  Imperial  Politics 

(1895-1898)       .         .         .        .        .  .494 

CHAPTER  XX 
Africa— Preacher  and  Counsellor  (1891-1898)       .  516 

CHAPTER  XXI 

The  Ripened  Life  and  the  Sickle  (1898,  1899)        •  53^ 

Appendix       .         .        .         .        .         •  -549 


Index 


553 


CHAPTER  I 


FROM  KNOCKANDO  TO  BEDFORD  (1835-1855) 

In  the  remote  valley  of  Knockando,  in  Morayshire,  a 
certain  family  of  Mackenzies  was  to  be  found  far  from 
the  true  home  of  their  clan  in  Ross-shire.  Their  presence 
there  seems  to  have  been  accounted  for  by  supposing 
that  an  unknown  ancestor  had  found  it  necessary  to 
flee  into  hiding  after  one  of  the  several  futile  rebellions 
of  the  1 8th  century.  Knockando  is  a  bleak  district 
lying  behind  a  low  range  of  hills  on  the  left  bank  of 
the  river  Spey  ;  which  used  to  be  described  in  the 
school  geographies  as  "  the  swiftest  river  in  Scotland." 

Throughout  life  this  "  solemn  rolling  Spey,"  as  he 
called  it,  was  ever  mentioned  by  Mackenzie  with  a 
certain  tenderness  of  personal  affection.  The  scenery 
of  the  river  valley  for  some  miles  up  and  down  is 
peculiarly  beautiful,  and  at  several  points,  as  at 
Craigellachie,  it  even  reaches  a  certain  grandeur.  It 
is  easy  to  see  how  the  music  of  the  rushing  waters, 
the  broad  and  deep  pools  where  it  flows  in  silent 
stretches  under  the  gloom  of  overhanging  crags,  must 
have  left  indelible  and  romantic  impressions  upon  the 
mind  of  a  sensitive  young  Celt.  Long  years  after- 
wards he  wrote  out  of  the  desert  heart  of  South 
Africa  to  his  eldest  son,  who  was  about  to  spend  a 
holiday  season  in  Morayshire  :  "  Tell  me  if  you  heard 
again  the  noise  of  the  Spey  ;  the  one  solemn  sound  in 
the  still  and  lovely  summer  evening.  It  is  worth 
hearing  ;  and  you  will  never  need  to  try  to  remember 
it." 

The  soil  of  Knockando  indeed  is  bare  and  un- 
A  ' 


2 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


generous  ;  but  its  scattered  little  farms  have  been  the 
homes  of  warm  hearts.  In  one  of  these  humble 
homes  John  Mackenzie,  the  youngest  of  six  children, 
was  born  on  August  30th,  1835  ;  and  there  he  lived 
till  he  was  nine  years  of  age. 

The  only  record  of  his  earliest  years  which  he  has 
preserved  is  brief  and  reads  thus  : — 

"  The  first  verse  and  prayer  which  my  mother 
taught  me  was  as  follows  : — 

"  This  nicht  whan  I  he  down  tae  sleep 
I  gie  my  soul  tae  Christ  tae  keep. 
An'  wauk'  I  noo,  an'  wauk'  I  never 
I  gie  my  soul  tae  Christ  forever." 

His  parents  were  unable  to  give  him  more  than  the 
primary  education  of  the  parish  school  ;  but  circum- 
stances made  it  possible  for  the  little  lad  to  be  received 
into  the  Anderson  Institution  in   the  beautiful  and 
ancient  city  of  Elgin.      Thither  he  went  in  his  tenth 
year,  making  the  whole  journey  of  sixteen  miles,  which 
he  was  to  repeat  so  often  in  the  next  few  years,  on 
foot.      The  Anderson   Institution  was  founded  and 
endowed  by  a  General  Anderson,  whose  life-story  had 
been  from  beginning  to  end  of  strangely  mingled  pathos 
and  brilliance.    The  purpose  of  the  Institution  was 
said  to  be  "  the  support  of  old  age  and  the  education 
of  youth."    When  John  Mackenzie  entered  the  school 
its  head  master  was  one  John  Eddie,  a  licentiate  of  the 
Church  of  Scotland,  a  man  of  some  learning  and  a 
most  kind  heart ;  of  great  patience  and  carefulness  as 
a  teacher.    Intelligent  pupils  received  a  very  thorough 
foundation  under  his  tuition.     His  school  did  not  aim 
at  keeping  children  beyond  the  age,  about  thirteen  or 
fourteen  years,  when  they  could  become  apprenticed 
to  some  trade  ;  but  it  followed  them  right  through 
their  apprenticeship  with  substantial  aid  and  almost 
parental  interest.     For  Mr  Eddie,  Mackenzie  felt  a 
life-long  gratitude  and  affection,  named  his  second  son 


FROM  KNOCKANDO  TO  BEDFORD  3 


after  him,  and  sought  in  various  ways  to  maintain 
a  friendly  connection  with  him  until  he  died  in 
the  year  1887,  at  the  age  of  eighty-seven.  And 
Mackenzie  appears,  on  the  other  hand,  to  have  excited 
the  special  interest  of  his  master,  who  followed  his 
career,  even  in  the  days  of  his  apprenticeship,  with  an 
attentive  sympathy. 

On  October  23rd,  1848,  the  young  boy  left  the 
school  which  had  become  almost  a  home  to  him,  and 
was  apprenticed  to  Mr  Alexander  Russell,  the  pro- 
prietor and  printer,  editor  and  publisher  of  the  local 
newspaper  named  The  Elgin  Courant.  The  "  inden- 
ture "  bound  him  to  serve  this  master  faithfully  and 
diligently  for  seven  long  years,  during  which  the 
master  was  bound  "  to  teach  him  or  cause  him  to  be 
taught "  every  branch  of  the  printing  trade.  The 
hours  were  irregular  but  seem  to  have  averaged  ten 
hours  a  day,  and  at  times  late  work  had  to  be  done  on 
the  newspaper.  Leisure  could  be  therefore  found  for 
reading  and  study  only  by  those  who  had  strong 
inclinations  in  that  direction. 

Although  so  young,  John  Mackenzie  had  to  live  in 
lodgings,  virtually  master  of  his  own  time  and  habits 
at  fourteen  years  of  age !  How  significant  and 
pathetic  are  the  words  which  he  wrote  in  his  diary  at 
a  certain  crisis  when  he  was  almost  twenty  years  of 
age  :  "  It  is  now  ten  years  since  I  have  asked  parental 
advice.  During  that  period,  when  not  under  the  eye 
of  a  teacher  or  of  an  employer,  I  have  been  entirely 
my  own  adviser,  and  my  own  master.  Instead  of 
giving,  both  parents  ask  advice  from  me,  so  that  I  am 
not  acting  in  any  way  undutifully  towards  my  parents, 
but  simply  in  that  way  which  circumstances  at  first 
produced,  which  after  events  continued,  which  our 
different  dispositions  and  feelings  fostered,  and  which  is 
now  acted  as  duty  by  me,  and  expected  by  them." 
At  first  he  appears  to  have  lived  the  happy  life  of  a 


4 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


boy,  without  great  or  strenuous  self-exertion.  He  was 
not  particularly  fond  of  reading,  as  yet,  but  threw  him- 
self heartily  into  boyish  fun  and  games.  He  used  to 
recall  in  later  years  the  fact  that  he  played  cricket  on 
Elgin  Green,  the  game  which  he  liked  most.  One 
remembers  a  scene  in  South  Central  Africa  when  some 
English  travellers  met  at  a  mission  station  and  a  game 
at  cricket  was  improvised  out  of  primitive  materials, 
and  Mackenzie  was  one  of  the  most  eager  and  happy 
players. 

For  several  years,  as  he  afterwards  stated  at  his 
ordination,  he  found  himself  surrounded  by  the 
thoughtless,  the  foolish,  and  the  vicious,  and  his 
religious  feelings  were  stifled.  He  gave  up  going  to 
church,  never  opened  his  Bible,  and  only  read  "  silly  or 
sinful  publications."  His  intellectual  life  was  suddenly 
and  effectually  awakened  by  an  incident  which  he 
owed  to  the  influence  of  his  younger  fellow  apprentice, 
James  Ross  (now  the  Rev.  James  Ross  of  Eglinton 
Street  Congregational  Church,  Glasgovv'),  the  dear 
friend  with  whom  he  maintained  affectionate  corre- 
spondence for  the  rest  of  his  life.  This  friend  had 
been  led  to  join  the  Bishopmill  Literary  Association, 
which  met  in  a  hired  room  in  the  village  of  Bishopmill, 
across  the  river  Lossie.  Mackenzie  was  amazed  to 
see  young  men  and  younger  lads,  most  of  whom  he 
knew,  discussing  a  matter  of  intellectual  interest  with 
intense  earnestness  and  freedom.  It  was  a  new  and 
fascinating  world.  He  himself  became  quickly 
absorbed  in  the  subject  of  debate  and  in  the  argu- 
ments offered  on  each  side  ;  so  absorbed  indeed  that 
before  the  meeting  closed  he  had  found  himself  on  his 
own  feet  and  delivered  his  first  public  speech  ! 

The  rousing  of  the  intellectual  life  led  gradually 
to  that  religious  quickening  from  which  his  whole 
character  ever  after  drew  its  most  distinctive  qualities. 
Although  brought  up  as  a  son  of  the  Church  of  Scot- 


FROM  KNOCKANDO  TO  BEDFORD  5 


land,  Mackenzie  was  led,  mainly  by  his  intimacy  with 
James  Ross,  to  attend  what  was  called  the  Independent 
Chapel,  to  which  Ross's  family  belonged.  The  aged 
minister,  Rev.  Niel  M'Niel,  was  now  unequal  to  pulpit 
work,  but  took  much  interest  in  several  branches  of 
pastoral  duty.  There  came  to  preach  one  summer, 
1853,  a  student  from  the  Theological  Academy  of  the 
Congregational  Churches  of  Scotland,  by  name  Alex- 
ander Williamson,  afterwards  so  widely  known  as  a 
missionary  in  China.  This  young  man,  tall  and 
powerful  of  build,  forceful  in  manner  and  speech, 
was  aflame  with  religious  zeal  and,  above  all,  with 
enthusiasm  for  that  missionary  career  to  which  he  had 
dedicated  his  life.  He  exercised  upon  Mackenzie  an 
influence  of  peculiar  strength.  In  his  personal  jottings 
in  June,  1854,  the  latter  says,  "I  could  not  tell  the 
exact  time  either  of  my  conversion  or  of  my  first 
desiring  to  become  a  minister."  But  he  also  says  that 
both  events  had  happened,  the  one  about  a  year  and 
the  other  more  than  a  year  before.  This  would 
indicate  that  it  was  under  the  summer  ministry  of 
Alexander  Williamson  that  the  full  light  broke  upon 
his  young  soul,  and  then  that  he  made  the  inward 
.  resolution,  from  which  there  was  henceforth  no  swerv- 
ing, to  become  a  preacher  of  the  gospel  in  the  heathen 
world. 

Somewhere  in  this  early  period  of  his  spiritual 
history  Mackenzie  began  to  write  a  diary.  The 
earliest  portion  which  has  been  preserved  is  not  the 
first.  It  is  dated  "1854,  May  19,  Friday."  The 
heading  is,  "Jottings  of  My  Life — Continued."  With 
some  intermissions,  this  habit  of  writing  almost  daily 
memoranda  and  meditations  was  maintained  until  the 
first  voyage  to  Cape  Town  was  ended.  These  jottings 
were  entered  almost  always  on  little  boardless  booklets, 
evidently  made  by  the  writer  himself  from  sheets  of 
unruled  paper,  folded  and  stitched  together.     In  them 


6 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


the  young  man  pours  out  his  soul  day  by  day  with 
the  utmost  simplicity  and  with  an  earnestness  amount- 
ing sometimes  to  real  passion.  If  it  be  remembered 
that  the  extracts  which  are  given  from  that  diary  were 
begun  by  a  young  lad  yet  in  his  'teens,  who  had  left 
school  at  thirteen  to  fight  his  life's  battles  without  the 
shelter  and  comfort  of  home  life,  they  will  most  pro- 
bably strike  every  reader  as  indicating  the  possession 
of  unusual  powers,  as  well  as  of  a  full  measure  of  that 
divine  grace  which  we  sometimes  call  religious  genius. 

On  June  5th,  1854,  he  sat  down  for  the  first 
"  communion  season."  It  was  the  custom  at  Elgin, 
as,  happily,  in  many  Congregational  Churches  in 
Scotland,  to  celebrate  the  Lord's  Supper  every  Sunday 
morning,  at  the  close  of  the  ordinary  public  service. 
Thus  did  he  express  the  feelings  which  that  solemn 
event  stirred  in  his  heart : — 

June  4,  1854 — Morning. — How  sweet  is  the  Sabbath 
morn,  how  calm,  how  placid,  how  solemn  !  To  the  believer 
the  Sabbath  is  a  day  of  delight  and  holy  pleasure.  It  is  the 
Lord's  day — that  day  on  which  Jesus  burst  the  gates  of  the 
tomb  and  rose  triumphant.  It  is  the  day  on  which  the 
apostles  and  first  believers  came  together  to  "  break  bread  " 
— to  do  so  in  remembrance  of  Jesus.  Oh,  how  pleasing  the 
day  and  its  associations  and  duties  !  I  look  forward  this  day 
that  I  shall,  by  God's  great  mercy  and  grace,  be  enabled  to 
observe  this  Lord's  day  as  did  the  Christians  of  old.  At  the 
table  of  the  Lord  I,  by  His  grace,  will  be  a  guest ;  and,  oh  ! 
grant.  Lord,  that  I  may  go  there  with,  and  while  I  am  there 
may  I  feel,  true  love  to  Jesus ;  and  may  the  remembrance  of 
His  atonement.  His  death  for  me  and  for  sinners  every- 
where, come  to  my  soul  at  that  table  with  peculiar  force  ! 
Oh,  how  sweet  a  thing  is  Christianity,  with  its  trust  in  Jesus, 
its  love  to  Him  and  to  our  fellow-Christians  !  The  world 
knoweth  it  not;  and  yet  this  happiness  is  but  imperfect  here, 
although  it  shall  be  perfect  yonder ! 

Afternoon. — By  the  grace  of  God,  I  have  been  a  guest 
at  His  table,  and  have  done  according  to  His  commands  and 
in  remembrance  of  Him,  and  I  don't  think  I  ever  felt  so 
happy  on  earth.    Oh,  the  nearness  of  such  a  place  to  God  ! 


FROM  KNOCKANDO  TO  BEDFORD  7 


How  solemn  it  therefore  is  !  God  is  near  us  always,  but  in 
the  associations  and  circumstances  of  this  holy  ordinance  our 
weak  faith  is  made  sufficient  to  perceive  and  to  discern  Him 
with  greater  vividness  and  clearness.  I  will  always,  I  think, 
remember  the  peculiar  feeUng  I  possessed.  It  was  one  of 
rest,  repose,  and  peace  created  by  sweet  leaning  on  Jesus. 
Satan  was  busy,  however,  as  he  always  is,  to  prevent  me  from 
either  enjoying  or  realising  my  position  ;  but  grace  prevailed, 
and  I  was  enabled  to  overcome,  to  a  certain  extent,  at  any 
rate. 

It  is  characteristic  of  Mackenzie's  life-long  interest 
in  organisation,  in  the  way  of  doing  things,  that  on 
this  very  day  he  makes  the  following  remarks  upon 
the  conduct  of  a  business  meeting  of  the  members  of 
the  Church,  which  he  that  day  attended  for  the  first 
time. 

Both  resolutions,  after  deliberation,  were  agreed  to,  and 
the  meeting  was  a  harmonious  one.  But  I  think  I  could 
suggest  improvements  in  the  management  of  this  Church, 
instead  of  being  so  much  benefited  by  surveying  its  working. 
The  Church  has  no  secretary  or  clerk,  and  I  am  told  their 
business  meetings  are  sometimes  without  a  preses  or  chair- 
man. It  was  not  so,  however,  in  the  meeting  to-day.  I 
have  unshaken  belief  in  the  simplicity  and  the  divinity  of  the 
system,  although  its  working  here,  as  far  as  I  have  seen  and 
heard  of  it,  has  not  gone  altogether  to  foster  this  notion. 

The  daily  "  jottings  "  are  at  this  earlier  period  much 
occupied  with  the  obstacles  which  seemed  to  lie  between 
him  and  the  mission  field.  The  chief  difficulty  arose 
from  the  determination  which  he  had  formed  to  go  at 
once  to  some  school  of  training  for  the  ministry.  In 
order  to  do  that  he  must  obtain  permission  from 
Alexander  Russell,  "  my  master  "  as  he  always  calls 
him,  to  break  his  apprenticeship.  And  there  lay  the 
occasion  of  many  troubled  days.  Further,  his  friends 
were  divided  in  their  counsel  as  to  whether  he  should 
apply  at  once  to  the  London  Missionary  Society  and 
attend  their  training  school  at  Bedford,  or  first  go 
through   the    course  of  the  "  Glasgow  Theological 


8 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


Academy  "  (later  known  as  the  Congregational  Theo- 
logical Hall).  Now,  any  form  of  advice  which  seemed 
to  hasten  his  arrival  on  the  mission  field  was  for  that 
very  reason  preferred  by  Mackenzie.  The  motto 
which  he  at  this  period  chose  for  himself  is  referred 
to  in  a  most  interesting  letter  written  to  James  Ross 
after  he  had  begun  his  studies  at  Bedford. 

For  many  months  previous  to  my  leaving  the  Courant 
office,  my  daily,  almost  hourly^  breathing  to  God  was,  "  Make 
my  feet  like  hinds'  feet  :  make  me  to  walk  in  mine  high 
places."^  The  burden  of  this  is,  compress^  as  it  were,  mine 
experience  :  teach  me  much  in  a  short  twie  :  and  deliver  me 
from,  yea  make  me  triumph  over  mine  enemies. 

It  was  in  this  spirit  of  intense  eagerness  that  he 
entered  into  correspondence  with  the  London  Mission- 
ary Society,  believing  that  if  the  Directors  were  to 
accept  his  application  all  other  difficulties  would 
speedily  disappear.  At  the  same  time  he  went  on 
with  his  studies  in  his  leisure  hours,  though  he  con- 
fesses several  times  that  his  correspondence  and 
anxieties  occasionally  made  Latin  rudiments  uncon- 
genial and  close  study  impossible.  Throughout  the 
uncertainties  of  those  months  he  kept  his  own  counsel, 
pouring  out  his  fullest  confidences  and  the  reflection 
of  his  daily  thoughts  and  various  emotions,  in  the 
pages  of  his  diary — and,  as  those  pages  abundantly 
prove,  in  frequent  and  prolonged  prayer.  Once  a 
week  he  met  several  other  young  men  at  the  house  of 
a  companion  named  James  Mackintosh,  who  died  two  or 
three  years  later,  for  prayer  :  and  his  diary  frequently 
refers  gratefully  to  this  intimate  communion  of  friends. 
Once  a  week  also  he  had  a  special  season  of  private 
prayer  for  the  spread  of  the  kingdom  of  God,  in 
which  his  daily  pleadings  were  elaborated. 

It  was  in  June,  1854,  that  after  considerable  hesita- 
tion, caused  by  the  divergent  opinions  of  the  friends 

^  Ilabakkuk  iii.  19. 


FROM  KNOCKANDO  TO  BEDFORD  9 


whom  he  consulted,  Mackenzie  applied  directly  to  the 
London  Missionary  Society  for  appointment  as  one 
of  its  agents  in  the  foreign  field.  Of  course,  it  was 
understood  that  if  they  accepted  him  he  would  have 
to  spend  some  time  in  preparative  study.  Unfortun- 
ately for  his  peace  of  mind  no  answer  to  his  applica- 
tion was  received  until  October  6th,  and  then  it  was 
declined.  The  reasons  given  by  the  Society's  Direc- 
tors was  that  he  was  too  young,  alike  in  years  and  as 
a  member  of  the  Christian  Church  :  it  was  also  felt 
that  he  must  carry  his  education  further  ere  he  could 
be  accepted.  At  the  same  time  he  was  encouraged 
to  renew  his  application  nine  or  twelve  months  later. 
The  disappointment  was  met  with  courage  and  un- 
abated hope. 

About  this  time  Mackenzie,  who  had  a  good  singing 
voice,  received,  after  the  usual  public  competition,  the 
appointment  of  precentor  at  the  Parish  Church  of 
New  Spynie,  on  a  salary  of  £^  per  annum.  From  Dr 
Kyd,  the  minister,  he  received  much  kindness  and 
encouragement.  Long  years  after  he  used  to  recall 
with  intense  amusement  the  dread  day  of  his  trial 
singing,  and  how  the  friend  who  coached  him  got  him 
into  a  field  behind  a  hedge  on  their  way  to  church  for 
one  more  rehearsal.  The  following  paragraph  occurs 
in  a  letter  to  his  boys  written  more  than  twenty  years 
afterwards  : — 

The  five  pounds  per  annum  which  I  earned  as  precentor  of 
New  Spynie  Parish  Church  were  of  very  great  service  to  me 
at  that  particular  time  of  my  life.  My  income  was  on  one 
occasion  almost  too  much  for  me;  I  shall  explain  how.  Dr 
Kyd  and  I  had  always  a  grand  counting  of  the  pennies  and 
bawbees  which  were  put  into  the  l^rod,  and  out  of  which  my 
salary  was  paid,  whenever  the  happy  day  came  round  for  me 
to  receive  my  money.  This  was  scene  the  first.  The  second 
is  a  moving  one,  in  which  you  behold  the  youthful  precentor 
toiling  along  through  the  beautiful  fir-wood,  and  through 
Bishopmill  too,  and  up  the  Lossie  V/ynd,  sadly  oppressed 


10 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


with  his  burden  of  bawbees  and  pennies,  which  the  laddie 
carried  in  a  handkerchief  twisted  at  the  corners.  Frequently 
changing  hands  he  reached  Winchester,  the  grocer's,  where 
he  very  readily  got  "small  change"  for  his  copper.  But  on 
one  occasion  the  second  scene  was  not  the  last.  He  had 
rounded  the  corner  into  High  Street,  had  descended  the  one 
step  into  Winchester's  shop,  when  the  material  of  the  hand- 
kerchief could  hold  out,  or  rather  hold  in,  no  longer,  and 
away  went  the  offerings  of  the  decent  people  of  New  Spynie 
all  over  the  grocer's  shop  floor  !  It  was  inside  and  not  out- 
side the  shop — which  made  a  great  difference  in  Elgin,  and 
no  doubt  would  do  so  anywhere. 

The  following  extracts  from  his  Diary  for  the 
month  of  September,  1854,  while  he  was  waiting  for 
the  answer  of  the  Directors,  will  probably  do  much  to 
reveal  the  spirit  of  this  young  man,  as  he  tried  to 
walk  with  God. 

Sept.  6. — O  that  I  were  removed  from  my  present  secular 
and,  in  my  circumstances,  useless  employment,  and  employed 
busily  in  the  preparations  necessary  to  my  carrying  the 
Gospel  far,  far  away  to  those  who  have  never  heard  it. 

Sept.  7. — But  let  me  wait — yes,  wait.^  for  God  will  surely 
help  me  as  I  need !  How  cheering  the  thought !  How 
faithless  my  heart ! 

Sept.  9. — I  promised  to  Mr  Kyd  last  Sabbath  to  drink 
tea  with  him  this  afternoon  in  Quarrywood.  I  hope  to 
enjoy,  at  all  events,  much  pleasure  from  the  natural 
scenes  with  which  I  will  be  surrounded  on  this  lovely 
afternoon. 

I  would  here  note  my  present  state  of  mind.  The  war 
is  going  on  incessantly  ;  only  God  is  gracious  and  aids  me 
and  upholds  me.  I  have  an  increasing  desire  to  work  for 
God,  and  I  am  only  happy  at  present  in  the  office  from  the 
prospect  of  my  soon  leaving  it.  My  faith  in  God  is  some- 
times such  as  to  give  me  joy  even  when  surrounded  by 
difficulties  ;  but  I  distrust  Him  much — I  confess  I  do — 
although  nothing  is  more  ungrateful.  I  am,  I  humbly  trust, 
advancing  heavenward  ;  following  on  to  know  the  Lord ; 
although  I  am  not  at  all  what  I  ought  to  be.  Oh,  no  !  I 
have  not  attained  to  anything  at  which  I  can  sit  down  and 
content  myself.    Perfection — that  is  the  goal  ;  eternity  is  its 


FROM  KNOCKANDO  TO  BEDFORD  ii 


period  of  enjoyment ;  life  is  the  period  of  trial — of  struggles. 
But  the  goal,  the  goal  is  at  the  end  ;  and  by  God's  help  I  am 
confident  I  shall  reach  it. 

Sept.  1 1. — I  got  confused  a  httle  when  visiting  a  prominent 
citizen  on  business ;  I  cannot  meet  such  a  one.  What  must 
I  do  to  get  more  brass  in  my  face  ? 

Sept.  II,  Mo7iday. — I  am  more  and  more  convinced  that 
pride  is  a  scrambling  weed  within  me  and  that  God  is  wisely 
chastising  me  by  maiming  me  in  my  love  of  applause  and 
distinction.  O  that  I  may  be  enabled  to  pray  very  earnestly 
against  this  most  heinous  of  sins  ! 

Sept.  12. — O  that  I  may  grow  in  every  Christian  grace. 
I  am  now  convinced  that  I  am  very  vain  and  proud ;  and 
I  want  with  God's  help  to  crucify  these  remaining  weeds. 
I  pray  for  lowliness  of  heart,  to  be  made,  in  short,  like  my 
blessed  Saviour.    O,  who  was  ever  like  Him  ! 

Sept.  13. — I  continue  to  pray  in  an  especial  manner  for 
humility  ;  and  I  indeed  find  that  I  have  very  much  need. 
How  deceitful  is  my  own  heart !  I  have  just  lighted,  as  it 
were,  on  a  nook  containing  contraband  goods — which  had 
no  right  to  be  there,  but  which  I  in  my  blindness  overlooked. 
The  heart  is  indeed  deceitful  above  all  things.  O  may  the 
Holy  Spirit  aid  and  help  me  to  continue  to  carry  on  a 
successful  warfare  with  everything  that  defileth  the  heart — 
every  evil  which  may  be  lurking  unperceived.  How  silly 
and  vain  is  this  feeling  which  is  so  strong  within  me.  Some- 
times I  am  tempted  thus  by  Satan  :  "  Now  look  at  so  and  so. 
He  is  a  Christian  like  you  and  yet  every  one  knows  he  is 
prouder  and  vainer  than  you  are.  You  are  good  enough. 
Take  it  easy.  See  what  a  fearful  amount  of  labour  you  will 
have  before  you  overcome  these  propensities.  Be  contented 
with  your  position.  You  are  better  than  many  and  as  good 
as  a  great  number  of  Christians.  Don't  bestir  yourself. 
Just  look  at  that  high  difficult  mountain.  When  would  you 
reach  its  summit  ?  You  are  best  where  you  are."  So 
whispers  the  Devil ;  but  God  be  glorified  and  praised,  I  can 
say,  "  Get  thee  behind  me,  Satan."  I  am  not  striving  to  be 
like  other  men.  Man  is  not  the  model  or  pattern  which  I  am 
striving  to  imitate — guilty  fallen  man.  No ;  I  look  to  a 
perfect  model.  I  take  a  pattern  from  perfection.  I  must 
therefore  reach  forward  and  not  look  on  what  I  may  have 
attained,  but  daily  strive  to  become  more  and  more  like 
Jesus.     I  trust  I  shall  continue  more  and   more  to  per- 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


ceive  and  realize  the  true  beauty  and  blessedness  of  that 
character  which  Jesus  possessed,  and  still  possesses. 

Sept.  1 6. — Passed  the  afternoon  with  my  father,  and  after- 
wards began  to  read  the  report  of  the  L.  M.  S.,  which  really 
gave  delight  to  my  heart.  Think  of  sixty  native  young  men 
in  one  of  the  South  Sea  Islands,  in  course  of  being  trained  as 
ministers  of  the  Gospel.  Glory  be  to  God  I  O  the  future  ! 
the  future  1  when  the  earth  shall  be  full  of  the  knowledsfe  of 

o 

the  Lord. 

Held  my  weekly  prayer  in  the  midst  of  a  clump  of  trees 
to-night  in  darkness  and  soHtude.  I  had  some  freedom  and 
some  sense  of  the  presence  of  God. 

Sept.  1 7,  Sunday. — At  the  communion  table  to-day  I  felt 
more  overcome  than  ever  before.  What  a  glorious  feeling  ! 
Dear  Jesus  !  He  was  not  there  hidden  as  He  often  is  to  my 
darkened  mind.  Heaven  seemed  very  near,  life  very  short; 
and  to  spend  my  life  as  a  missionary  of  the  Gospel  appeared 
a  glorious  work  indeed.  O,  I  felt  eager  to  engage  in  it ! 
Surely  God,  when  He  thinks  proper,  will  open  a  door  for 
me. 

Sept.  19. — Felt  some  strange  doubts  sweep  into  my  mind 
this  afternoon.  I  cannot  account  for  their  coming,  nor  for 
their  strength,  but  I  know  they  are  of  such  a  nature  as  to 
undermine  the  whole  matter  of  religion  altogether  in  my  soul. 
They  strike  at  the  very  root. 

But  when  I  think  of  the  matter,  I  am  led  to  wonder  why 
I  would  trifle  with  such  things.  Religion  subject  to  a 
doubt?  Get  thee  behind  me,  Satan.  Thou  alone  couldst 
say  so.  Away  with  all  doubt.  I  cannot  look  on  religion  in 
any  way  but  it  convinces  me  of  its  truth.  I  would  as  soon 
deny  my  own  existence  as  deny  the  truth  of  reHgion.  God 
help  this  darkened,  blinded,  stumbling,  but  trusting  and 
confiding  soul !    For  Jesus'  sake  ! 

The  immortality  of  the  soul  is  what  the  tempter  would 
have  me  discredit,  and  of  course  denying  it  I  deny  all 
religion.    God  forbid  1 

Sept.  20. — Before  retiring  to  rest  last  night  I  had  a  sweet 
outpouring  of  my  soul  to  God  in  prayer.  I  felt  as  if  I  could 
suffer  all  things  to  be  taken  away  if  God  Himself  remain.  I 
felt  that  He  was  the  only  Being  in  the  universe  whom  I 
could  depend  upon,  love  or  seek  after :  and  in  the  language 
of  the  Psalmist  I  cried,  "Whom  have  I  in  heaven  but  Thee, 
and  there  is  none  in  all  the  earth  that  my  soul  desireth 


FROM  KNOCKANDO  TO  BEDFORD  13 


beside  Thee."  Then  indeed  did  God  seem  precious  and 
to  be  all  in  all,  sine  qua  non,  in  the  estimation  of  my 
soul. 

This  morning  I  find  my  mind  is  at  comparative  rest ;  and 
I  enjoy  this  rest  more  when  I  shut  my  eyes  to  everything 
and  let  my  soul  commune  with  God.  'Tis  then  I  know 
there  must  be  a  God,  and  if  a  God  then  the  God  of  the 
Bible ;  and  if  a  God  of  the  Bible — then  the  Bible  with  all 
its  doctrines  is  the  Word  of  God. 

I  read  a  paper  on  "  The  Past  and  Present  of  Christianity," 
the  leading  idea  in  which  is  that  arguing  on  plain  fact,  there 
is  nothing  clearer  than  that  the  religion  of  Jesus  of  Nazareth 
will  soon'  become  the  religion  of  the  world — excluding  for 
the  time  the  question  whether  or  not  it  is  divine  or  true. 

I  have  been  reading  the  report  of  the  L.  M.  S.  and  con- 
sidering what  country  I  would  like  to  go  to.  I  would  prefer 
India,  China,  or  Africa  to  all  others.  Wide,  glorious,  fields 
there.  O  that  I  were  there ;  speaking  to  them  the  saving 
truths  of  the  Gospel  in  the  people's  language.  O  God  ! — Do 
not  delay  my  beginning  to  devote  myself  entirely  to  pre- 
paration for  Thy  own  work. 

Sabbath,  24M  Sept. — I  repeated  my  address  [an  address 
intended  for  a  Sunday  evening  meeting]  this  morning  in 
about  twenty-five  minutes,  and  I  am  pleased  with  it.  I 
think  it  will  do.  I  hope  God  will  bless  me  and  give  me 
much  of  His  Spirit,  so  that  I  may  preach  boldly  and  also 
simply,  clearly,  truthfully,  meekly  from  the  heart.  Preach- 
ing is  a  gift.  I  pray  God  earnestly  for  it.  .  .  .  Spoke  to 
Mr  M'Laren,  Treasurer  to  the  Congregational  Union,  who 
was  in  town  and  sat  down  with  the  church  at  the  Lord's 
Table  to-day. 

Sunday,  2>^th  September. — In  the  afternoon  I  was  singu- 
larly dealt  with.  My  confusion  and  reddening  of  face 
came  on  me  :  and  I  became  miserable,  for  I  know  it  was 
my  own  desperate  wicked  heart  that  was  to  blame.  After  I 
came  home  I  found  liberty  to  pray  earnestly  to  God  against 
pride  and  vain  glory. 

Friday,  6th  October. — This  morning  I  read  the  decisive 
answer  by  the  Directors  of  the  L.  M.  S.  on  my  application. 
I  am  rejected.  I  am  too  young — have  not  been  long 
enough  member  of  a  church — and  it  would  be  too  expen- 
sive to  educate  me  at  the  Society's  expense.  These  are 
their  reasons  for  not  accepting  me.  .  .  .  After  reading  this 


14 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


letter  I  found  my  way  to  God's  Throne  and  then  poured  out 
my  thanks  to  Him  as  the  God  of  Providence  for  giving  me 
this  new  token  that  He  is  looking  over  my  affairs  and  guiding 
my  footsteps.  I  shall  call  on  Messrs  M'Niel  and  Guthrie  in 
the  evening  or  through  the  day.  I  have  to  work  at  two 
o'clock.  How  many  feelings  crowd  upon  me  !  Pride  rises 
at  the  disappointment :  but  I  trust  God  will  enable  me  in 
humility  and  true  meekness  to  conduct  myself. 

October  29. — From  this  Sabbath  forward  I  will,  O  God 
— trusting  in  Thee — struggle  and  cry  like  one  drowning, 
and  I  will  hold  on  to  the  anchor  of  safety,  even  Jesus ;  and 
I  will  give  Thee  no  rest  until  Thou  hast  blessed  me  with 
Thine  own  blessing,  O  God,  imperfect  guilty  wretch  that  I 
am.  I  love  Thee  ;  I  delight  in  Thee  ;  I  long  for  Thy  fellow- 
ship more  and  more.  Fan  the  flame  O  God  of  Hosts,  and 
fit  me  for  a  residence  in  heaven. 

Thursday,  2d  November. — I  am  rather  afraid  there  is 
something  going  on  decidedly  evil  with  respect  to  my  health. 
I  am  afraid  of  colds  and  consumption. 

The  ensuing  winter  proved  to  be  a  very  trying  one. 
The  intense  energy  of  the  young  man,  his  absorption 
in  the  pursuit  of  the  spiritual  life,  and  his  unsated 
yearning  to  be  definitely  at  work  in  the  Master's  ex- 
clusive service,  told  upon  his  health.  When  spring 
time  came  he  had  good  reason  to  be  anxious  about 
his  cough  and  his  sense  of  weakness.  His  state  of 
perplexity  and  his  spiritual  struggles  led  him  to  draw 
up  several  papers  dealing  with  his  religious  life  and 
character.  The  longest  of  these,  as  it  reveals  the 
depth  of  his  reHgious  convictions  and  contains  one  or 
two  passages  of  intense  pathos,  should  be  read  here  in 
full.     It  is  entitled  : — 

A  Solemn  Covenant  and  Confession,  made  on  account 
of  a  recent  temptation  and  in  view  of  my  present  critical 
circumstances.     Dated  February  16,  1855. 

My  Father  and  God, — In  the  name  of  Jesus  I  approach 
Thy  throne,  adoring  Thy  glorious  Majesty  and  supreme 
dominion.  I  am  the  clay ;  Thou  art  the  Potter ;  what  I 
am,  I  am  through  Thy  favour  and  help  alone.  I  joy  most 
of  all  that  I  can  behold  in  Thee  a  Friend,  in  whom  I  once 


FROM  KNOCKANDO  TO  BEDFORD  15 


only  saw  an  angry  judge ;  and  that  I  can  address  Thee  in 
the  language  of  a  child  of  Thine,  and  call  Thee  Father.  I 
thank  Thee  for  the  infinitely  lovely  scheme  of  redemption — 
for  my  interest  in  it  and  for  all  the  precious  solacing  promises, 
counsels,  and  warnings  given  in  Thy  Revealed  Will.  At  this 
time,  it  is  my  desire  reverently  to  seek  Thy  presence  and 
throne  of  grace  that  I  may  pour  out  my  whole  heart  in 
Thy  sight  —  lay  all  my  griefs  before  Thee,  and  make  my 
supplications  and  prayers  known  unto  Thee.  I  desire 
to  do  so  in  a  solemn,  godly,  confiding  spirit ;  that  so 
my  soul  may  be  strengthened  and  mine  eyes  opened  and 
my  steps  directed  and  confirmed  by  Thee,  in  my  present 
circumstances. 

O  Lord,  Thou  knowest  that  my  heart  is  vile,  corrupt, 
and  bespotted  with  the  impurities  of  corruption.  Thou  hast 
seen  how  it  has  gone  awhoring  after  what  is  not  allowable ; 
how  it  has  caused  me  to  sin  even  in  Thine  own  courts ;  how 
my  heart  has  been  alienated  from  Thee,  and  drawn  away 
after  the  desires  of  the  flesh  and  of  the  eye.  Satan,  to 
hinder  my  prayers,  has  wounded  me — caused  me  to  stumble; 
but  oh,  I  thank  Thee  I  have  not  fallen.  Though  with  a 
divided  heart,  still,  Lord,  Thou  knowest  how  I  struggled. 
Hear,  O  God,  my  confession  of  sin  ;  listen  when  I  seek  Thy 
pardoning  mercy ;  grant  me  Thy  Spirit's  healing,  restoring, 
reviving  influences.  May  I  see  where  my  hope  is.  May  I 
have  always  before  me  where  my  weakness  lies ;  and  may  I 
watch  and  pray  that  I  enter  not  into  temptation.  Lord, 
save  me  from  my  carnal  heart :  O  free  me  from  seeking 
greedily  the  applause  of  men  ;  deliver  me,  I  implore  Thee, 
from  mingling  the  things  of  sense  and  worldly  beauty  with 
Thy  service  and  sanctuary  and  its  spiritual,  undivided  heart- 
worship.  I  confess  my  bent  to  fall  into  such  sins ;  and 
Lord,  I  know  that  Thou  alone  canst  help  me.  Therefore,  O 
Lord,  I  call  upon  Thee  to  save  me  from  my  besetting  sins — 
especially  as  Thou  hast  set  before  me  the  prospect  of  taking 
the  leading  part  in  the  services  of  Thy  House  on  a  portion  of 
Thy  Holy  day.  O  may  I  have  then,  and  at  all  times,  a 
single  eye  to  Thy  glory ;  may  time  sink  to  its  true  position, 
and  Eternity  assume  its  place  in  my  mind's  eye ;  may  I  have 
Jesus'  spirit  inwrought  in  my  heart ;  may  I  breathe  the  breath 
of  heavenly  benevolence  over  my  fellow-creatures  ;  may  I 
wrestle  mightily  for  their  souls,  in  public  and  in  private ;  and 
may  I  have  eloquence  to  persuade  and  entice  them  to 


i6 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


follow  Thee,  and  leave  the  unsatisfying  employments  of 
time  and  of  this  world. 

O  my  God,  I  desire  also  to  remember  before  Thee  my 
position.    Since  Thou  knowest  the  inmost  workings  of  my 
heart,  I  can  confidently  appeal  to  Thee.    Every  day,  Lord, 
from  Monday  morning  till  Friday,  I  am  engaged  as  a  printer. 
I  cannot  then  think  on  Thee,  or  if  I  do  I  cannot  think 
on  my  work  ;  I  cannot  learn  languages,  or  study  sermons, 
or  meditate  on  Thy  Word  in  order  to  work  Thy  work ;  no,  I 
am  tied  to  the  earth.    Then  I  have  on  an  average  seven 
hours  work  after  publication,  when  Thy  Sabbath  steals  upon 
me  in  all  its  loveliness.     Father,  while  I  admire  Thine 
infinite  wisdom  and  providential  foresight,  I  joy  and  glory 
in  Thee  when  I  remember  that  Thou  art  pleased  to  call 
some  not  only  to  repentance  and  faith,  but  also  to  the  holy 
work  of  the  service  of  the  Gospel.    Father,  I  feel  in  my  heart 
that  I  am  called  by  Thee  for  this  service  ;  all  Thy  dealings 
with  my  soul  testify  to  this ;  and  above  all  Thou  hast  been 
pleased,  most  gracious  Lord,  even  in  my  present  situation, 
to  allow  me  to  conduct  the  public  worship  of  Thy  sanctuary, 
and  on  various  occasions  publicly  to  proclaim  Thy  great 
Salvation.    Seeing  that  Thou,  most  blessed  Father,  hast  been 
so  leading  me  and  honouring  me  with  regard  to  the  work  of 
the  ministry,  I  come  with  trembling  boldness  and  request 
Thee  to  separate  me  to  the  work.    Give  me  over  to  the 
Saviour ;  liberate  me  from  worldly  engagements ;  grant  that 
my  time  may  be  the  property  of  Jesus ;  and  that  henceforth 
my  whole  life  may  be  spent  in  His  service.    Father,  I  have 
much  to  learn,  in  language  and  other  knowledge,  before 
I  could  take  upon  me  Thy  work  and  its  mighty  responsi- 
bility ;  and  alas  !  Thou  knowest  how  very  little  I  am  able  to 
do  in  this  way  in  my  present  situation.    O  take  me  away, 
then,  dear  Father.      O   let   those   who  have   no  higher 
aspirations — alas  that  there  should  be  such  ! — occupy  my 
present  worldly  situation,  and  give  me,  O  give  me,  to  Thy 
work  and  Thy  ministry  all  my  lifetime.    Thou  knowest  my 
heart  and  Thou  knowest  all  things.    My  God,  I  complaifi  to 
Thee  because  I  am  so  far  away  from  the  true  end  and  object 
of  my  being.    My  heart  is  far  away  ;  my  calling  is  far  away ; 
verily,  O  God,  I  am  at  a  distance  from  Thee.     But  O, 
draw  Thou  near  to  me,  and  give  me  power  to  draw  near  to 
Thee  both  in  heart  and  in  occupation  ;  and  as  the  work 
of  the  ministry  is  the  nearest  to  Thee  that  I  could  engage 


FROM  KNOCKANDO  TO  BEDFORD  17 


in,  I  desire  that  my  heart  and  my  time,  my  intellect,  my 
all,  may  be  given  to  Thee,  that  so  I  may  be  united  and 
become  in  some  measure  like  to  those  holy  beings  who  never 
feel  a  distracting  thought,  and  are  never  at  a  distance  from 
Thee,  but  are  always  serving  Thee  and  doing  Thy  will.  O 
God,  come  and  rescue  me.  Come,  I  plead — I  beseech — 
and  make  no  tarrying.  Father,  I  ask  that  Thou  wouldst 
place  me  where  I  will  be  all,  time,  heart,  talent,  all  the 
property  of  my  dear  Jesus.  O,  is  He  not  worthy?  And 
though  my  sins  may  be  as  mountains,  O  can  they  endure 
before  the  purifying  influences  of  Jesus'  glorious  and  all 
efficacious  atonement  ?  Is  not  Thy  Spirit  able  to  work  in  me, 
both  to  will  and  to  do  of  Thy  good  pleasure  ?  Is  He  not 
able  to  give  me  the  Spirit  of  the  holy  calling  to  which  I 
aspire  ?  And  hast  Thou  not  said  that  those  who  seek  Thee 
early  shall  find  Thee  ?  My  God !  my  God  !  I  appeal  to 
Thee.  O,  for  the  sake  of  Jesus,  who  is  infinitely  worthy — 
for  the  sake  of  the  world,  which  is  the  object  of  Thy  bound- 
less pity,  and  for  Thy  Name's  sake  and  Thy  glory's  sake — form 
this  heart  of  mine  into  conformity  to  Thy  will,  and  separate  me 
to  the  work  of  the  service  of  Thy  Gospel.  Do  not  delay — 
make  no  tarrying  —  come  and  do  unto  me  above  my 
request. 

O  guide  my  steps,  Lord ;  O  take  me  to  Thyself ;  O  permit 
me  not  to  go  astray  or  aside,  but  to  go  right  onwards  unto 
perfection.  Bless  this  day's  exercises  ;  bless  this  writing ;  O 
God,  may  my  soul  be  strengthened  mightily  with  strength 
from  on  high,  and  may  every  day  of  my  life  and  every  hour 
here  be  given  to  Thee,  and  every  volition  of  my  will  and 
every  affection  of  my  heart. 

And  unto  Thee,  the  King  eternal,  immortal,  and  in- 
visible, the  only  wise  God,  be  all  the  glory  now,  henceforth, 
and  evermore.  Amen. 

In  March  there  comes  a  paper  entitled  "  A  Prayer 
while  in  a  Dilemma,"  to  which  are  added  observations 
on  the  same  subject  for  the  week  following.  It  was  a 
small  incident  which  had  aroused  his  conscience  and 
his  liveliest  emotions,  because  it  seemed  to  have  a 
bearing  on  his  release  from  the  printer's  desk.  But 
that  is  followed  by  a  "  Resolution,  dated  May  2,  1855," 
which  shows  very  clearly  that  his  unnatural  state  of 

B 


i8 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


excitement  had  brought  on  and  was  now  aggravated 
by  serious  ill-health. 

Resolution^  dated  May  2,  1855. 

Seeing  I  have  been  for  some  time  suffering  from  a 
nervous  complaint  or  disorder,  which  prevents  my  preserv- 
ing equanimity  or  calmness  of  mind,  especially  when  exposed 
to  the  observation  of  others,  and  which  also  produces  effects 
on  my  external  frame  quite  out  of  keeping  with  that  mild 
and  dignified  serenity  which  ought  to  characterise  a  child  of 
God,  I  resolve,  for  the  glory  of  God  and  the  honour  of  my 
Saviour's  name,  to  take  such  steps  as  are  most  likely  to 
succeed  in  overcoming  this  seated  weakness  in  my  constitu- 
tion. For  this  purpose  I  note  the  underneath  resolves,  which 
are  all  embodied  in  the  one  idea — to  be  like  Christ : — 

1.  Labour  to  preserve  calmness  in  all  places  and  on  all 
occasions — in  imitation  of  my  Saviour. 

2.  Avoid  being  angry.  Where  there  is  cause  for  displea  - 
sure, preserve  mildness  and  composure. 

3.  In  my  manner,  seek  after  true  politeness,  and  banish 
all  clownish  awkward?tess,  which  of  itself  produces  confusion 
of  mind.    No  ostentation. 

4.  As  it  is  an  idea  which  causes  the  disorder  in  my  system, 
harbour  it  as  little  as  possible.  Leave  myself  in  my  thoughts. 
Ask  not  what  I  shall  eat,  etc.,  or  how  I  shall  ever  progress. 
Is  He  not  able  ?  Am  I  not  His  ?  If  I  seek  Him  with  my 
whole  heart — if  I  pour  out  the  plaint  of  a  downcast,  sobbing, 
sighing  soul — O  will  not  Jesus  hear  it  ?  Will  He  not  lead 
me  on  ?  Are  my  talents — is  my  whole  life  on  earth — to  be 
lost  for  good  because  of  one  idea  lodging  in  my  mind  ?  When 
encouraged  to  seek  the  Lord's  work  and  the  Lord's  glory,  is 
it  my  duty  to  sit  down  and  cherish  an  idea  that  I  shall  never 
be  enabled  to  do  anything  in  that  work  to  which  God  is 
calling  me  and  fitting  me  ?  Ought  I  not  to  banish  that  idea  ? 
Ought  I  not  to  lean  upon  God  in  confidence  of  soul  ?  If  I 
had  full  co?ifide7ice  I  would  have  the  victory.  O  it  is  hard — 
and  yet  it  is  pleasant — it  is  painfully  sweet  to  be  afflicted  ! 

But  I  pray  God  that,  at  all  events,  His  glory  may  be 
wrought  out  m  me  and  by  me — according  to  His  own  good 
will  and  pleasure — that  7ny  feet  may  be  7?iade  like  hiftds'  feet. 

5.  I  may  add  to  my  resolutions  to  take  and  grasp  in  my 
mind  the  truth  about  all  things.  Treat  God  as  God,  Jesus 
as  my  own  Jesus,  distinguished  men  with  becoming  respect, 


FROM  KNOCKANDO  TO  BEDFORD  19 


but  with  no  sheepish  dread.  Treat  men  as  men,  always  with 
respect  as  possessors  of  souls  that  shall  last  for  ever ;  never 
with  disdain  or  pride. 

6.  On  all  occasions  do  my  utmost  for  Jesus  Christ, 
depending  on  His  aid  and  support. 

Very  shortly  after  this  Mackenzie  was  allowed,  on 
the  ground  of  ill-health,  to  leave  the  printer's  office. 
He  went  to  his  native  air  of  Knockando,  where  he 
engaged  in  study  and  found  opportunities  for  preach- 
ing. Into  both  he  threw  his  energies  very  heartily. 
His  diary,  as  well  as  his  letters  to  James  Ross,  reflect 
the  zest  and  zeal  with  which  he  prepared  and  delivered 
his  earnest  gospel  addresses.  Health  returned  steadily 
though  slowly,  as  he  walked  over  that  portion  of 
Strathspey,  musing  and  praying,  visiting  and  preaching. 
All  this  time  his  mind  was  fixed  on  his  high  aspira- 
tions and  the  career  he  longed  for.  He  enjoyed  many 
"  trances  of  thought  and  mountings  of  the  mind." 

As  he  now  believed  that  he  was  finally  cut  off  from 
his  Elgin  life,  and  would  soon  be  permanently  removed 
from  his  former  associations,  a  strong  desire  took  hold 
of  him  to  address  the  young  men  of  that  royal  burgh, 
to  deliver  one  last,  earnest  message  in  the  name  of  his 
Master.  He  knew  the  risks,  but  determined  to  face 
them.  His  friends,  not  without  trepidation,  helped 
him,  James  Ross  rendering  special  aid  as  to  the 
advertising  of  the  event.  The  Independent  Chapel 
was  lent  for  the  occasion  on  Sunday  evening,  Sep- 
tember 2nd.  Mr  Ross  still  remembers  the  scene,  and 
his  memory  tallies  wonderfully  with  the  "  Jottings  " 
which  Mackenzie  made  at  the  time.  "  What  crowds  ! 
Passages,  vestry,  stairs,  even  the  lane  near  the  door, 
were  occupied,  and  many  went  away."  "  An  old  man 
remarked  regarding  the  attendance  of  young  men, 
that  he  did  not  believe  there  were  so  many  in  Elgin." 
The  young  preacher  delivering  his  soul  to  his  compeers 
was  nervous  and  excited  ;  but  he  had  chosen  for  his 


20 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


address  that  theme  of  which  his  own  heart  was  ever 
full — "Christ  is  all  and  in  all"  (Col.  iii.  ii) — and 
his  intense  passion  made  its  own  impression  on  his 
audience. 

In  the  previous  July  Mackenzie  had  renewed  his 
application  to  the  London  Missionary  Society,  and 
it  so  happened  that  three  days  after  the  delivery  of 
this  farewell  address  to  the  young  men  of  Elgin  he 
received  a  letter  summoning  him  to  London  to  meet 
with  the  Committee  of  the  Directors  on  September 
1 0th.  After  a  forty  minutes'  examination  before 
the  venerable  directors  and  officials  the  young  candi- 
date, to  his  overflowing  delight,  was  informed  that 
he  had  been  accepted  on  probation,"  and  would  be 
now  sent  to  the  Society's  Seminary  at  Bedford  to 
undergo  what  training  and  education  might  be  found 
necessary  to  fit  him  for  active  service  in  the  mission 
field.  It  was  characteristic  of  his  whole  spirit  at 
this  period  that  during  the  few  days  of  sight-seeing 
which  he  could  spend  in  London  he  found  time  to 
look  up  one  or  two  young  men  from  the  North, 
whom  he  wished  to  bring  to  the  faith  of  Christ. 


CHAPTER  II 


FROM  BEDFORD  TO  CAPE  TOWN  (l  85  5- 1 858) 

The  London  Missionary  Society  had  some  difficulty 
in  its  earliest  years  with  regard  to  the  education  of  its 
missionaries.  While  some  came  before  the  Directors 
whose  education  for  the  ministry  was  complete,  many, 
if  not  most,  of  the  candidates  were  young  men  whose 
advantages  had  been  limited,  and  who  needed  assist- 
ance to  obtain  an  adequate  training.  To  meet  this 
need  the  Society  from  time  to  time  established  Semi- 
naries at  various  places,  generally  under  the  care  of 
some  minister  whose  scholarship  and  fervour  fitted 
him  to  do  the  best  for  the  young  men.  One  of  these 
seminaries  was  for  a  long  while  conducted  by  the  Rev. 
J.  Jukes,  Congregational  minister  at  Bedford,  who  had 
as  his  colleague-instructor,  the  Rev.  W.  Alliott.  The 
students,  whose  numbers  varied  between  three  or  four 
and  eight  or  ten,  usually  boarded  with  Mr  Jukes.  They 
worked  at  New  Testament  Greek,  a  little  Hebrew, 
Christian  Evidences  and  Systematic  Theology,  Logic 
and  Mathematics.  Much  attention  was  given  to  the 
writing  and  delivery  of  sermons.  The  students  were 
also  sent  out  every  Sunday  to  preach  in  the  neighbour- 
ing villages,  and  were  encouraged  and  expected  to 
engage  in  other  forms  of  Christian  work. 

Here,  then,  Mackenzie  lived  and  studied,  prayed 
and  preached  from  September  1855  till  December 
1857.  At  the  latter  date  he  went  to  Edinburgh 
for  some  months  of  further  study  in  medicine  and 
theology.  His  Diary  bears  constant  witness  to  the 
eager  joy  with  which  he  cast  himself  into  the  task 


22 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


of  direct  and  rapid  preparation  for  his  life's  calling. 
Perplexities  and  difficulties  were  by  no  means  all  at 
once  dispersed.  He  was  on  "  probation "  for  a  full 
year,  and  he  found  that  the  course  even  of  a  theo- 
logical student  can  present  its  own  peculiar  obstacles, 
temptations,  and  sorrows.  One  fact,  however,  stands 
out  above  all  others  in  the  written  mirror  of  his  daily 
life,  that,  in  spite  of  the  rush  of  work  which  came 
upon  him,  in  spite  of  domestic  distractions,  he  steadily 
and  almost  invariably  gave  much  time  every  day  to 
intense  and  humble  prayer.  For  Mackenzie,  it  might 
be  said  that,  to  pray  was  to  live.  The  experiences 
of  his  soul  in  prayer  were  as  fascinating,  varied,  and 
momentous,  as  any  events  in  his  outward  life.  He 
records  often  and  often  that  his  prayer-hour  was 
free  or  restrained,  that  he  wrestled  or  was  calm 
and  restful,  that  God  was  near  and  His  voice  clear, 
or  far  off  and  unattainable,  that  he  "  overcame  God  " 
and  won  an  answer  from  Him,  or  rose  unsatisfied, 
but  determined  to  trust,  and  trust  forever. 

It  may  be  said  here  once  for  all,  that  this  full  life 
of  prayer  was  maintained  by  Mackenzie  to  the  end. 
Though  he  did  not  continue  to  record  his  experiences 
in  a  diary,  and  was  ever  reticent  about  his  personal 
life,  it  was  known  in  his  home  that  he  prayed  about 
everything.  Intercessory  prayer  was  always  a  most 
real  and  sacred  obligation  and  joy  to  him  ;  and  what 
may  be  called  consultative  prayer,  in  which  he  went 
over  his  duties  and  practical  problems  before  God, 
seeking  light  and  the  assurance  of  his  Master's 
approval,  was  as  necessary  to  him  as  food  and  drink. 
The  present  writer  remembers  as  a  boy  coming  into 
his  father's  room  and  finding  him  leaning  on  the  post 
of  his  bed.  When  he  raised  his  head  a  deep  red 
mark  on  the  forehead  made  by  the  pressure  of  the 
knuckles  of  his  hand,  and  the  dimmed  look  of  his 
eyes,  bespoke  at  once  the  length  and  intensity  of  his 


FROM  BEDFORD  TO  CAPE  TOWN  23 


prayer.  When  childishly  asked  what  was  the  matter, 
he  said  he  had  been  praying  about  some  point  con- 
nected with  his  book,  his  first  book,  on  which  he  was 
at  the  time  busily  engaged.  It  may  be  confidently 
said  that  he  never  entered  upon  any  important  under- 
taking without  real  consultative  prayer.  On  the  other 
hand,  the  extent  to  which  he  believed  in  the  power  of 
the  prayers  of  others  for  him  was  often  revealed  in 
his  letters  urging  his  correspondents  to  pray.  As  a 
young  man  he  wrote  to  James  Ross  to  say,  "  Do  not 
forget  me,  Jamie,  you  yourself  know  where.  At  work 
you  may  forget  me  ;  but  oh  !  '  mind'  me  there  !" 

Among  the  students  who  were  at  Bedford  in  1855 
there  may  be  named  two  for  whom  Mackenzie  retained 
a  permanent  affection.  One  of  these  was  James 
Duthie,  afterwards  a  well-known  missionary  in  South 
India.  Of  him  he  writes  to  James  Ross  saying,  "  We 
made  ourselves  brothers,  although  he  belongs  to  Aber- 
deen." The  other  was  Arthur  Hall,  brother  of  the 
already  famous  Rev.  Newman  Hall,  who  was  pre- 
paring for  his  entrance  upon  the  full  course  of  study 
at  New  College,  London,  and  who  became  an  honoured 
Congregational  minister.  In  the  person  of  a  third 
student,  who  was  a  Eurasian,  and  with  whom  he  was 
thrown  into  close  and  very  friendly  association,  the 
young  Scottish  student  was  brought  face  to  face  with 
that  problem  of  the  mixture  of  races  which  in  after 
years  put  him  into  many  a  perplexing  situation, 
and  gave  him  food  for  endless,  painful,  and  incon- 
clusive reflection.  He  came  on  one  occasion  unex- 
pectedly upon  this  fellow -student,  and  found  him 
absorbed  in  a  kind  of  agony  over  the  life-long  bitter- 
ness of  his  lot,  looking  at  his  hands,  apostrophising 
them,  and  asking  his  Maker  why  this  colour,  which 
made  him  the  scorn  and  dislike  of  so  many,  had  been 
bestowed  upon  him.  Mackenzie  never  forgot  that 
scene  ;  it  made  him,  when  m.ixed  marriages  were  pro- 


24 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


posed  or  discussed,  think  always  and  first  not  of  those 
who  in  choosing  each  other  deliberately  chose  their 
social  lot,  but  of  the  children  who  would  inherit  it 
with  its  burdens  and  sorrows. 

His  evangelic  zeal  was  so  real  and  sincere  that  he 
did  not  allow  the  pursuit  of  his  studies  or  even  the 
discharge  of  mission  duties  at  Bedford  to  absolve  him 
from  similar  responsibilities  elsewhere.  During  this 
winter  he  corresponded  with  former  Elgin  friends,  and 
with  his  own  family  relatives  regarding  their  spiritual 
interests.  About  one  friend  he  writes  in  his  diary, 
"  Oh  !  how  I  long  for  that  young  man's  conversion. 
It  is  my  constant  prayer  to  God,  that  mercy  may  be 
extended  to  him."  The  following  extracts  from  the 
diary  and  other  personal  memoranda  of  the  year 
1855-6  will  throw  light  upon  the  strenuous  life  of 
this  young  missionary  student  in  his  twenty-first 
year : — 

Saturday^  Nov.  3,  1855.-111  spiritual  things,  I  have 
received  this  idea  very  powerfully  into  my  mind — that  all 
my  afflictions,  distresses  and  alarms,  are  the  produce  of  sin 
within  me.  If  I  weep  because  of  heavy  afflictions  or  dis- 
quietude— sin  has  procured  it  for  me — yea,  mi?ie  own  sin. 
Let  me  remember  this  :  I  never  felt  it  so  deeply  before. 
If  I  weep  at  all  let  it  be,  not  because  of  the  heavy  affliction 
or  distress,  but  let  me  turn  to  the  producing  cause  and  weep 
over  my  sins  with  a  penitent  heart,  and  let  my  prayer  be,  not 
principally  as  before,  that  God  would  remove  His  afflictive 
hand  and  give  me  health  and  soundness — but  that  he  would 
be  pleased  to  qualify  me  for  the  receipt  of  that  blessing — that 
He  would  sanctify  my  heart  so  as  to  take  away  the  strength 
from  the  sin  which  is  there  indwelling — and  having  done  so, 
extend  me  the  blessings  I  have  so  long  pleaded  for.  O  may 
I  be  taught  of  God  !  O  may  He  be  ever  very  near  me  !  I 
have  had  some  seasons  of  deeply  earnest  prayer — may  they 
be  multiplied  in  strength  and  number  ! 

Thursday,  Nov.  8. — To-night  I  had  a  season  of  prayer 
such  as  I  have  not  enjoyed  on  any  previous  occasion,  both 
as  regards  intensity  of  feeling  and  the  enlightenment  which 


FROM  BEDFORD  TO  CAPE  TOWN  25 


pervaded  my  mind.  I  was  alone  in  my  study  :  my  light  I 
had  extinguished  :  the  flickering  of  some  fire  from  the  grate 
cast  a  dim  light  over  the  room.  I  communed  with  God — 
felt  His  presence  —  spoke  to  Him  —  wrestled  with  Him — 
for  about  an  hour.  I  went  to  bed  a  happy,  victorious  man  : 
there  was  a  smile  on  my  lips  and  calmness  in  my  counte- 
nance ;  and  oh  my  heart  was  full — glowing  with  emotion  : 
for  I  lay  down  that  night  with  the  assurafice  that  I  would  be 
specially  honoured — specially  favoured — specially  endowed 
by  God  ;  and  that  my  life  would  be  made  viore  than  even  I 
could  imagine.  I  felt  the  calmness  which  follows  assurance  ; 
and  I  shall  consider  this  night  one  of  the  great  eras  of  my 
life. 

Siifiday,  1 1  Nov. — Preached  in  the  evening  at  Cardington. 
Tea  at  Mr  Bodgers'.  Thank  God  for  my  present  state  and 
feelings  and  ideas  ;  but  I  am  not  at  all  what  I  shall  be.  I 
preached  more  rousingly  than  I  have  yet  done  in  England. 
And,  strange  to  say,  it  was  almost  extempore  ;  although  I  had 
notes,  somehow  I  did  not  stick  to  them.  I  must  guard 
against  this.    It  encourages  looseness  in  preaching. 

Saturday,  16th  Nov. — To-night  I  have  devoted  my  time 
after  supper  for  meditation  and  reflection  on  my  state  before 
God  ;  and  I  shall  begin  by  noting  my  past  week's  history,  at 
least  what  bears  on  the  matter  before  me.  As  a  whole  the 
past  week  has  been  one  of  considerable  spiritual  earnestness  : 
prayers  for  progress — for  a  special  outpouring  of  God's 
Spirit — for  strength  to  advance  and  make  life  henceforth  a 
great  and  noble  thing — have  been  daily  uttered.  I  have  also 
had  much  sweet  communion  with  my  God  :  and  having 
been  engaged  during  a  part  of  most  of  the  days  of  the  week 
in  writing  on  "  The  Prodigal's  Resolution,"  I  felt  my  mind 
much  benefited  thereby,  and  my  spirit  led  out  to  regard  my 
God  as  a  merciful  Father.  I  am  much  afraid,  however,  of 
spiritual  pride  or  rather — a  desire  for  the  applause  of  men. 
This  is  a  most  disgusting  feature  in  my  character.  Let  me 
come  forth  from  it  entirely  ;  and  regard  no  expressions  of 
applause  as  to  me,  but  to  the  grace  of  God  in  me.  Let  men 
say  of  me  what  they  will — I  will  come  to  my  dear  Jesus  and 
say,  "  It  is  all  Thine."  I  am  studying  in  the  same  room 
with  a  lad  who  is  rather  rude  in  his  manners,  and  I  would 
wish  his  influence  were  removed ;  for  one  cannot  help  being 
to  some  extent  thus  affected  by  association.  One  thought  has 
come  prominently  into  my  mind  this  week  :  it  has  been  its 


26 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


lesson,  its  leading  idea,  viz.  :  that  association  with  God 
and  deep  meditation — holy  communion  and  earnest  prayer 
— are  the  only  means  which  will  effectually  develop  a  noble 
mind — a  great  spirit  within  me.  At  the  same  time  it  is  of 
the  utmost  importance  that  the  other  associations  of  my 
mind  be  of  a  healthy  description.  I  must  say  that  I  feel  a 
great  want  here — for  although  all  the  young  men  here  are 
excellent  persons  yet  their  company  has  not  that  effect  which 
I  could  wish  :  their  conversation  is  not  what  I  would 
desire.  I  yearn  to  read  (since  I  can't  speak  with  such)  the 
thought  and  lives  of  the  truly  great.  May  the  Lord  guide 
me  !  I  must  keep  hold  of  this  idea  :  it  is  of  great  impor- 
tance. For  I  must  not  stand  still :  no,  by  every  means  I 
must  go  forward.  I  shall  see  if  I  can't  get  some  biography 
for  half  an  hour  each  day.  And  I  shall  take  up  one  of  the 
Apostles,  follow  out  all  that  is  recorded  of  him,  and  endeavour 
to  follow  him  as  he  followed  Christ,  and  derive  also  suitable 
lessons  from  his  whole  life. 

Mr  Jukes  has  passed  high  encomiums  upon  me;  and 
to-day  he  praised  very  much  my  sermon  on  the  Prodigal  Son. 

0  if  I  deserved  this  praise !  O  if  I  strained  every  Jterve  for  Christ! 

1  must  do  this.  I  will  do  it  in  the  strength  of  the  Lord. 
Have  obtained  much  consolation  and  strength  and  en- 
couragement from  the  thought  that  the  Lord  will  help  the 
resolved  man.  I  have  resolved  to  rise.  But  now  I  must 
record  somewhat  regarding  my  habits  as  a  student  during 
the  past  week.  They  have  been  very  irregular — not  what 
they  must  be.  Everything  except  Greek  had  to  be  thrown 
aside  to  complete  my  sermon,  and  after  all  I  had  barely  time 
for  it.  I  have  not  had  more  than  7  hours  sleep,  nor  less 
than  6  during  past  week.  I  am  really  quite  lazy :  it  requires 
effort  to  rise  on  a  freezing  morning  while  your  companion  is 
soundly  sleeping.  I  have  a  watch  now — a  very  fine  one ; 
and  I  must  be  regular  in  this  matter  now.  Next  week  I 
shall  always  be  in  bed  by  1 1  and  up  at  5 — for  a  trial.  I 
shall  encourage  meditation  and  soul  communion  with  God  in 
the  house  and  by  the  way,  so  I  shall  be  moulded.  I  have 
done  nothing  besides  Greek  this  week,  and  that  sermon.  It 
was  too  long. 

In  health  I  am  improving.  But  palpitation  at  the  heart 
has  not  abated.  It  is  not  troublesome,  however — although 
I  do  wish  it  were  away.  I  think  I  may  record  increased 
strength  of  nerve  and  energy  in  public. 


FROM  BEDFORD  TO  CAPE  TOWN  27 


Wednesday,  20th  Nov. — My  breath  is  towards  heaven. 
My  heart  yearns,  longs  for  the  mighty  God,  my  deUverer. 
But  I  am  sure  of  one  thing — that  as  the  power  of  the  Hving 
God  is  unquestionable  with  me  I  must  prevail.  But,  oh,  it 
is  speed  I  long  for  !  Noiv  I  would  arise.  And  alas  !  alas ! 
I  feel  all  wrong.  I  will  look  to  God  for  the  blessing  7iow.  I 
feel  crushed  at  the  thought  of  life.  Great  God  !  in  mercy 
visit  a  poor  worm  and  lift  him  up  and  enable  him  to  carry 
out  the  resolutions  which  I  am  persuaded  are  begotten 
within  me  by  Thy  good  Spirit.  I  feel  certain  I  am  on  the 
right  track  :  what  a  mercy  !  If  I  do  not  succeed,  by  the 
grace  of  God  I  will  die  with  the  wish. 

Saturday,  2^th  Nov. — On  a  retrospective  view  of  the 
past  week,  I  have  much  cause  for  thankfulness,  principally 
because  I  am  still  kept  in  an  earnest  praying  frame.  I  have, 
as  it  were,  assaulted  the  Divine  throne,  and  I  do  believe  God 
will  do  great  things  for  me.  I  feel  more  resolute.  But,  oh, 
how  easily  I  am  cast  down  !  Prayer,  however,  as  I  trust,  will 
conquer. 

Prayer  becomes  sweeter  and  more  pleasant  and  also  nobler 
than  formerly.  I  am  enabled  to  realize  the  Divine  Presence 
more  and  Jesus  never  appeared  so  lovely — so  dear  to  my 
soul — as  He  does  now.  I  love  Him  and  He  loves  me. 
Who  shall  separate  us  ?  And  if  He  wills  me  to  rise  and  do 
His  will,  and  if  I  w411  the  same,  who  can  thwart  the  glorious 
movement  ? 

I  resolved  and  vowed  before  God  (in  dependence  entirely 
on  His  grace)  to  be  resolute  and  decided  in  the  path  of 
duty ;  to  crucify  every  habit  which  stands  in  the  way  of  my 
developing  my  character  and  working  my  work ;  to  exert  all 
my  energies  to  do  thoroughly  whatever  lies  before  me ;  to 
realise  and  assume  the  dignity  and  bearing  belonging  to  my 
position.  All  these  resolutions  have  reference  to  o?ie  practical 
idea — a  life  of  devoted  missionary  labour.  That  is  my  aim  ; 
to  that  I  will  in  the  strength  of  God  press  forward ;  for  that, 
I  will  continually  seek  qualification  and  strength  from  on 
high — and  especially  faith  to  lay  hold  on  the  rich  treasures 
of  all  needed  gifts  which  are  within  my  reach  and  to  which  I 
have  a  clai7n,  which  are  in  fact  niifte  but  for  my  want  of  faith 
to  lay  hold  on  and  appropriate  them.  This  is  an  era.  I 
have  clearer  than  ever  before  me  my  life's  aim. 

I  have  now  a  set  of  resolutions  for  the  guidance  of  my  life 
drawn  up,  w^hich  I  read  on  my  knees  three  times  a  day  :  and 


28 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


I  have  also  copied  out  from  my  Testament  a  number  of 
promises  and  appropriate  passages  which  I  read  over  in  my 
devotional  exercises,  always  with  increased  satisfaction.  O 
the  word  of  God  is  precious ;  and  the  God  of  Grace  is 
indeed  kind  ;  but  alas  !  alas  !  (I  wonder  He  has  bortie  with 
me  so  long)  I  am  guilty,  and  careless,  and  trifling,  and  irre- 
solute, and  timid. 

I  have  great  reason  to  thank  my  gracious  Father  for  His 
mercy  towards  me  during  the  past  week.  On  several 
occasions  I  have  been  wonderfully  supported — especially  in 
curtailing  my  hours  of  sleep — but  regularity  is  still  wanted 
here.  Strength — real  strength  and  nerve  seem  to  be 
slowly  finding  their  way  into  my  being ;  but  what  a  load 
there  is  of  an  opposite  character  !  Really,  if  I  attempt  2,  good 
thing  in  one  way  or  another  I  am  met  by  obstacles  on  every 
hand.  Still,  higher  than  my  highest  mountain  of  difficulty, 
stronger  than  my  most  inveterate  foe,  is  He  who  is  with  me 
— my  sympathising  friend  and  brother,  Jesus  the  Son  of  God. 
And  still,  in  the  face  of  opposition  and  doubt  and  fear,  /  will 
hope  for  the  best  and  go  forward.  I  know  His  will  with  all 
my  heart.  I  will  endeavour  to  do  it  in  all  things ;  and 
leave  the  rest  with  Him.  I  know  He  loves  me  very  tenderly  ; 
I  have  felt  communion  with  Him  inexpressibly  sweet  and 
precious ;  and  I  am  convinced  He  wishes  me  to  pursue  the 
course  I  am  following.  Do  I  wish  more  strength  of  mind — 
more  dignified  and  exalted  conceptions  of  Him  and  of  His  ? 
Jesus  wishes  so  intensely.  Do  I  wish  power  and  faith  and 
nerve  to  fit  for  a  great  life?  Willingly  will  Jesus  bestow 
such  upon  the  earnest  suppliant.  Do  I  want  the  influences 
of  the  Holy  Spirit  to  be  stronger  within  me  and  to  enable 
me  to  realise  my  true  position  and  rank  as  one  of  the  Great 
Family  ?  Jesus  has  promised  the  Holy  Spirit  for  this  pur- 
pose. O  for  the  feelings  which  animate  mine  elder 
BROTHER !  I  am  so  weak  and  forgetful.  But  I  will  be 
helped  by  my  Jesus  and  my  Father  :  yes,  I  am  in  safe  hands  : 
all  will  be  well ;  eternity  as  well  as  time  will  testify  to  His 
unmixed  love  to  me.  O  that  I  had  His  Spirit !  I  ask 
strength  for  missionary  work  :  to  face  calmly  tempests  ;  ship- 
wreck ;  loneliness  ;  darkness  ;  temptation  ;  discouragements  ; 
heathenism  ;  the  death  of  an  unknown  obscure  "  servant  of 
Jehovah- Jesus." 

There  is  still  a  nervous  agitation  about  my  manner 
in  society  which  nothing  but  a  nobler  frame  of  vmtd  will 


FROM  BEDFORD  TO  CAPE  TOWN  29 


cure.  I  am  sometimes  entirely  above  such  things.  I  need 
food ;  I  need  light ;  new  strength  ;  or  I  will  decline  and  die. 
Therefore  I  will  give  my  beloved  no  rest  till  He  doth  arise  and 
visit  me  with  His  richest  blessing.  This  is  a  most  critical 
period  in  my  life.  If  Satan  holds  me,  he  has  the  life  of  a  man. 
Since  Safa?i  has  lost  me  he  has  lost  the  life  of  a  man,  for  that 
life  will  be  used  against  the  power  of  darkness.  He  would 
still  wound  me,  still  detain  me,  by  magnifying  lies  and  pre- 
senting them  to  my  mind ;  but  Jesus  helps  me.  I  am  faith- 
less however. 

I  have  resolved — determined — to  live  to  Christ  and  to 
live  like  Christ.  What  a  blessing  and  comfort  to  know,  that, 
to  do  these  two  things,  I  may  depend  on  His  aid  and 
encouragement.  Why  should  I  be  afraid  ?  Why  cast  down  ? 
If  God  be  for  me  who  can  be  against  me  ?  I  have  been 
wonderfully  supported  by  God ;  and  I  feel  encouraged  to  go 
on.  Reverses  have  been  occasioned  by  mine  own  weakness. 
The  day  of  manhood  is,  I  humbly  earnestly  trust,  bursting 
upon  me ! 

Saturday,  2()th  Dec. — Last  week  has  been  one  of  great 
conflict.  O  how  sweet  will  Heaven  be  to  me  !  And  if  I 
say  this  in  my  twenty-first  year  what  reason  may  I  have  to 
say  it  when  I'm  twice  as  old  !  My  mind  having  been  dissi- 
pated by  gaiety  and  social  glee,  Monday  and  Tuesday,  I  rose 
on  Wednesday  very  weak  both  in  body  and  mind,  especially 
the  latter ;  and  yet  I  am  not  quite  recovered.  This  of  course 
is  a  lesson.  If  I  ever  get  on  in  life  it  must  be  in  compara- 
tive seclusion  and  in  the  atmosphere  of  prayer.  It  seemed 
awful  to  me  on  some  occasions  during  the  past  week  to  have 
to  live.  O  what  would  I  not  have  given  for  a  reprieve  and  a 
summons  home  !  And  I  am  sure  this  is  far  from  my  real 
wishes.  I  am  desirous  of  a  long  life  of  hard  work,  of  self- 
denial  for  Jesus. 

God  help  me  !  I  cried  most  vehemently  with  a  heaving 
bosom  in  the  following  language  :  "  O  for  truth  !  O  for  light !  " 
over  and  over  again.  I  saw  my  past  life  also,  and  wept  over 
its  deformity,  regarding  myself  as  the  vilest  of  all  His  servants 
and  unworthy  of  the  name. 

However  great  the  difficulty,  I  find  I  must  keep  a  stout 
heart  to  it,  go  much  to  the  throne,  and  do  my  utmost  in 
action  :  and  the  good  Lord  help  me.  I  must  conquer  every 
evil  habit :  thafs  settled.  Idleness,  irresolution,  careless- 
ness, timidity,  irregularity,  all  must  be  swept  away.    In  the 


30 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


strength  of  the  living  God — the  helper  of  the  aspirant — I  will 
set  to  work.    Never  despair. 

Sunday,  30//?  Dec. — Preached  again  and  with  freedom  from 
Luke  XV.  and  18.  I  observed  tears.  It  is  the  salvation  of 
the  soul  alone  that  I  want. 

.Monday,  315/  Dec. — Alone  to-night  on  the  cemetery-hill 
here,  and  by  the  foot  of  a  fir  tree,  I  poured  out  my  soul  to 
God.  Reviewing  the  past  year — its  victories,  its  pro- 
vidential events,  and  its  lessons.  I  was  very  much  en- 
couraged— never  felt  as  I  did  then  the  power  I  really  had. 
I  saw  obstacles  give  way,  difficulties  vanish,  apparently 
the  greatest  and  most  insuperable ;  seeming  impossibilities 
surmounted,  and  the  most  unlikely  things  take  place  :  and 
I  knew  that  all  this  was  in  answer  to  prayer — taken,  as  it 
were,  by  violence.  O  there  is  something  almost  awful  in  the 
thought  of  having  moved  the  Eternal  Himself !  But  yet  it 
is  so — in  my  case  as  plain  and  evident  as  a  sunbeam.  There 
is  here  a  foundation  for  hope  for  the  future  as  well  as  a 
ground  for  confidence  that  I  am  in  the  right,  heaven-selected 
path  of  duty.  There  is  here,  above  all,  a  powerful  induce- 
ment to  importune  God  for  the  blessings  I  need — to  concen- 
trate my  energies,  as  it  were,  on  a  certain  gift  and  to  plead  for 
it  till  Heaven  is  moved,  and  I  am  in  receipt  of  it.  If  I 
prayed  myself  out  of  the  Courant  office,  Elgin,  at  a  season  when 
everything  seemed  against  me — to  the  astonishment,  mistrust, 
and  alarm,  even  of  some  who  sympathised  with  me — may  I  not 
in  the  same  way  pray  myself  out  of  every  bad  habit  of  thought 
or  action.  If  I  prayed  myself  into  a  situation  which  I  have 
reason  to  believe  was  my  chief  recommendation  to  the 
Directors  of  the  L.  M.  S.,  and  if  I  in  that  situation  was 
enabled  to  live  entirely  by  faith,  not  knowing  whither  I  was 
going,  may  I  not  here  in  exactly  such  another  situation,  so 
pray  and  wrestle  that,  as  I  succeeded  with  the  L.  M.  S.  in 
the  one  instance,  so  in  the  other,  I  may  pray  myself  into  a 
situation  where,  with  the  blessing  of  God,  I  may  be  the  means 
of  special  good  to  the  Church  and  the  world,  and  be  the 
instrument  in  the  Divine  hand  of  doing  a  great  work  in  His 
merciful  scheme  of  reconciling  the  world  to  Himself.  In  my 
prayers  on  this  solemn  occasion  (on  the  hill),  I  had  only 
opportunity  to  state  my  case  fervently  and  simply,  once.  I 
had  not  time  to  plead  much  when  I  was  interrupted  by  the 
sound  of  approaching  footsteps.  I  resumed  prayer,  however, 
in  my  study  alone,  and  had  much  of  the  Divine  presence. 


FROM  BEDFORD  TO  CAPE  TOWN  31 


I  set  out  on  the  new   year  with  the  following  special 
requests. 

Kneeling  down,  I  asked  not  only  to  receive  a  Christ-like 
spirit  and  manner ;  resolute,  immovable  determination  ;  single- 
ness of  heart  and  humility  ;  and  courage  in  danger  and  diffi- 
culty ;  but  I  asked  also  that  I  might  be  sent. 

Saturday^  Ja?i.  ^th,  1856. — This  week  has  been  spent 
rery  much  in  prayer. 

Delivered  a  speech  at  a  tea-meeting  lately,  before  my 
tutors.  By  the  grace  of  God,  I  was  enabled  in  some  measure 
to  dedicate  that  occasion  not  to  the  display  of  my  powers, 
but  to  the  delivering  something  which  would.be  calculated  to 
do  good  for  eternity.  I  went  there  prayerfully,  and  I  hope  I 
did  not  speak  for  nought.  I  have  been  since  told  by  a  lay- 
preacher  that  he  went  home  saying  to  his  wife  that  Mr 
Mackenzie  would  be  a  man  yet.  In  the  strength  of  God 
alone,  and  for  His  glory  alone,  I  will  ! 

Saturday^  12th  Jan. — Last  few  days  have  been  seasons 
of  wrestling.    The  kingdom  must  be  taken  by  violence. 

The  impression  is  abroad  here  that  I  will  not  be  long  in 
Bedford.  How  it  originated  I  know  not.  The  Lord  guide 
me  and  keep  me  here  and  elsewhere.  I  am  in  His  hands. 
Without  qualifying  me.  He  will  not  send  me.  Let  me  look 
to  Him  with  constancy  of  heart,  and  strive  to  cultivate  all 
the  graces  necessary  for  the  arduous  life  of  a  missionary. 

An  invisible  God !  This  doctrine  has  cheered  me  of 
late  :  I  was  struck  by  the  words  of  Jesus  on  the  Cross, 
"  Father,  &c."  He  addressed  an  invisible  Being.  He  is 
present  with  me. 

I  preached  from  this  subject  with  some  freedom  ex- 
temporarily. 

I  write  on  the  i6th  of  February.  My  health  has  been 
very  good  indeed.  I  am  about  well.  My  spirit  (my  mind) 
has  been  more  cheerful  and  strengthened  than  for  years,  per- 
haps than  it  ever  was.  My  strength  has  come  from  God 
alone.  Prayer  has  been  my  armoury.  Before  I  can  do 
greater  things  I  must  walk  much  nearer  to  God,  close  to 
Jesus,  holding  conujitinion  with  Him,  and  keeping  Him  ever 
before  me  as  an  example. 

Africa  has  engaged  my  thoughts  recently. 

I  am  still  pleading  for  Faith,  Light  and  Truth,  Strength 
and  Courage,  even  to  fearlessness.  A  single  humble  Spirit 
(habitual).     For  what,  indeed,  will  make  me  a  Christlike 


32 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


man  ?  My  sole  but  sure  confidence  and  ground  of  hope  is 
the  love  of  Jesus,  infinite,  prompt,  special. 

During  the  winter  of  1855-56  the  young  Scotsman 
found  his  health  growing  gradually  worse.  Partly 
this  may  have  been  due  to  a  change  of  habits  and 
of  climate,  partly  to  the  very  long  hours  of  work 
to  which  he  gave  himself  while  curtailing  his  sleep. 
But  the  most  serious  phase  of  his  illness  was  due  to 
the  effort  which  he  made  to  lessen  the  amount  of  his 
food.  He  resolved  first  to  deny  himself  the  mere 
pleasure  of  the  table,  and  further  to  discipline  him- 
self to  live  on  spare  and  simple  diet  in  order  that 
he  might  be  ready  for  any  emergency  in  his  career 
as  a  missionary.  And,  as  a  guide,  he  wrote  out  a 
number  of  detailed  rules  for  the  regulation  of  his 
choice  of  dishes  at  table.  The  result,  of  course,  was 
one  which  appears  in  the  lives  of  so  many  who 
have  made  severe  fasting  a  part  of  their  spiritual 
life,  that  he  was  subject  to  great  depression  as  well 
as  thrilling  elation  of  soul.  Spiritual  temptations 
fastened  upon  him  also  and  gave  him  great  distress, 
especially  when  they  took  the  form  of  that  haunting 
declaration  that  his  life  was  doomed  to  be  in  vain, 
that  he  could  never  be  of  any  service  to  the  King- 
dom of  God.  Indignantly  do  we  find  him  remonstrat- 
ing against  the  tyranny  of  this  mere  "  idea,"  this 
"  false  idea."  It  was  not  until  a  visit  to  a  London 
physician  opened  his  eyes  to  his  mistaken  zeal,  that 
health  returned.  So  far  had  his  experiment  been 
carried  that,  though  nearly  of  age,  and  not  far  from 
six  feet  in  height,  he  weighed  only  eight  stone. 
The  climax  and  the  deliverance  are  described  in  a 
summary  of  this  severe  experience  which  he  wrote 
in  London  on  May  i8th,  1856.  The  following  are 
extracts  : — 

3.  Lo?tdon,  May  iSth,  1856. —  He  (Satan)  has  long 
studied   by   different   methods,   by  calling  up    fears  and 


FROM  BEDFORD  TO  CAPE  TOWN  33 


doubts  and  mistrust  in  my  mind,  with  regard  to  my 
bodily  health,  which  have  710  foundation  whatever.  In 
this  proceeding  he  has  had  to  shift  his  ground,  but  this 
he  has  done  skilfully,  and  also  too  successfully.  In  answer 
to  prayer  I  am  now,  blessed  be  God,  in  possession  of  the 
truth  which  sets  the  mind  at  rest :  for  I  have  eminent 
medical  advice  pronouncing  me  in  good  health,  and  fit  for 
any  coimtry. 

4.  He  calls  up  in  my  mind  associations  which  have  a 
tendency  to  shake  my  confidence  in  myself  in  whatever 
position  I  may  be.  He  generally  brings  before  me  some 
scene  in  my  past  sinful  life,  and  says,  "  These  people  know 
you  not ;  but  you  can't  deny  that  you  are  the  man." 

5.  Also  in  the  matter  of  food  my  mind  has  been 
peculiarly  exercised  of  late.  The  Lord  has  given  me  some 
strength,  however,  and  some  light,  and  I  can  now  see  mine 
adversary  in  the  cunning  of  his  wiles.  So  much  was  my 
mind  taken  up  on  this  matter,  that  I  could  not  raise  my 
mind  from  it,  and  could  only  meditate  on  the  different  results 
of  different  kinds  of  food,  and  the  effects  of  the  food  I  myself 
had  taken  last.  I  was  so  particular,  and  thought  so  very 
much  on  this  matter,  that  I  almost  counted  the  bites  I  took, 
ate  every  mouthful  with  a  kind  of  terror  lest  I  should  not 
masticate  it  aright ;  and  to  crown  all,  generally  got  mto  a 
confused  flutter  in  settling  whether  I  had  eaten  enough  or 
not ;  Satan  very  often  indeed  persuading  me  I  had,  whereas 
everyone  was  at  a  loss  to  account  for  my  conduct  in  not 
taking  more  food.  I  was  reduced  to  a  state  of  great  weak- 
ness, both  in  body  and  mind,  began  to  see  I  was  wrong, 
lost  confidence  in  some  medicine  I  was  taking,  lost  confi- 
dence in  myself,  and  became  thoroughly  miserable,  being  at 
the  time  afflicted  with  a  bowel  complaint.  I  was  all  along 
enabled  to  study  and  to  keep  up  with  but  six  hours  of  sleep. 
From  this  position  God  in  His  mercy  removed  me  by  enabling 
me  to  come  to  London,  where  I  have  now  been  eleven  days, 
and  have  recovered  health  and  strength  and  confidence. 

(I  shall  note  this  dispensation.  I  would  fain  write  more 
upon  it.) 

6.  I  want  very  much  love,  true  love  to  God.  I  come  and 
pray  earnesdy  to  Him.  But  I  wish  to  have  the  desire  to 
be  with  IIi?n,  and  the  vision  to  perceive  Him,  and  the  spirit 
and  heart  to  address  Him,  and  really  feel  and  recognise  His 
presence,  and  not  go  to  Him  so  much  with  the  feeling  of  per- 

c 


34 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


forming  a  duty^  or  of  escaping  what  is  evil^  as  of  enjoying 
the  presence  and  partaking  of  the  blessedness  of  the  Almighty. 

In  July  (1856)  he  journeyed  to  Morayshire  by 
Glasgow,  in  fulfilment  of  a  promise  to  spend  most  of 
his  holiday  with  his  mother.  He  found  labouring  in 
Speyside,  a  young  student  from  the  Congregational 
Theological  Hall  at  Edinburgh  of  the  name  of  John 
Douglas,  afterwards  the  Rev.  John  Douglas  of  Glasgow, 
and  for  some  time  Secretary  of  the  Congregational 
Union  of  Scotland.  These  two,  with  James  Ross, 
spent  much  time  together  that  August.  They  tramped 
over  the  district,  visiting  the  people,  preaching  the 
Gospel.  They  made  one  long-remembered  and  oft- 
recalled  trip  to  the  top  of  Benrinnes,  where  they 
solemnly  pledged  themselves  to  the  service  of  God. 
To  Mackenzie  this  new  friendship  proved  of  im- 
measurable importance,  for  John  Douglas  invited  him 
to  pay  a  visit  to  his  own  home  at  Portobello.  The 
visit  was  made  in  August  of  the  following  year,  1857, 
and  in  that  home  the  prospective  missionary  found 
her  who  was  to  be  the  companion  of  his  long  labouring 
years  in  and  for  South  Africa. 

The  session  of  1856-57  was  passed  at  Bedford  with 
considerably  more  comfort  in  every  way.  The  daily 
"  jottings  "  indicate  constantly  that  the  prayer  life  was 
maintained  in  full  vigour,  but  the  descriptions  of 
spiritual  experiences  are  briefer  and  less  quotable ; 
references  to  the  ground  covered  in  study  are  more 
frequent,  and  show  that  hard  and  steady  work  was 
being  done.  Mackenzie  opened  his  heart  most  fully 
at  this  time  to  his  friend  James  Ross,  with  whom  he 
felt  complete  spiritual  sympathy.  For  example, 
speaking  of  his  greatest  mercy  as  being  "  the  presence 
of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,"  he  says  : — 

Jany.  7,  1857. — O  let  us  live  with  Him — just  in  His  sight 
— live  in  such  a  position  as  will  admit  of  our  speaking  to 
Him,    What  a  companion  !    What  conversation  !    O  one 


FROM  BEDFORD  TO  CAPE  TOWN  35 


hour  of  this  is  worth  far  more  than  hours  and  days — spent  as, 
alas  !  too  many  Christians  spend  them  now-a-days. 

I  am  persuaded  we  have  not  enough  of  devoted  personal 
attachment  to  Him  whom  we  call  our  Saviour.  O  let  us  be 
extreme  on  this  point,  let  us  burii  with  love,  and  yearn 
ifttensely  to  testify  in  actions  the  existence  of  this  love. 

In  another  letter  (April  30th,  1857)  he  indulges  in 
a  characteristic  speculation  regarding  that  future  life, 
to  which  he  looked  forward  even  as  a  young  man,  the 
hope  of  which  influenced  him  very  powerfully  all  his 
days.  Evidently  with  him,  as  with  all  who  have 
drunk  the  Spirit  of  the  New  Testament,  that  "other 
v/orldliness,"  when  truly  and  purely  cherished,  produced 
profound  and  most  admirable  effects  upon  conduct  and 
character  in  this  world. 

There  are  many  thoughts  which  rush  into  my  mind  when 
I  begin  to  write  to  you,  Jamie.  But  I  cannot  write  you  a 
long  letter — must  not,  indeed,  say  much  more  just  now. 
Perhaps  many  thoughts  which  we  would  wish  to  communicate 
will  never  be  communicated  on  earth ;  but  if  they  are  pure 
thoughts,  truthful  thoughts,  then  are  they  not  imperish- 
able? If  our  minds  are  to  be  expanded,  our  memories 
rendered  unclouded  to  call  up  whatever  of  truth  may  have 
lodged  in  our  minds,  if  these  things  happen  to  us  in  the 
higher  and  brighter  world,  perhaps  what  we  know  not  now 
of  one  another's  thoughts,  we  shall  know  hereafter.  At  any 
rate,  it  is  sweet  to  think  that  even  the  advanced  mode  of 
communication  by  Post  Office  delivery  will  be  effectually 
superseded  in  heaven.  We  shall  be  all  together  there  !  No 
more  to  part !  To  know  God  and  to  see  the  glories  of  His 
higher  creation,  the  stupendous  accomplishments  of  His 
Wisdom  and  Power  and  Benevolence.  O  my  dear  fenow??ian^ 
this  is  our  Eternity  !  This  is  the  "  purchased  possession  " 
of  the  Friends  of  Jesus  the  Crucified  !  Take  courage,  then  ; 
for  time  is  short  and  eternity  follows.  .  .  .  We  are  loved  by 
the  Son  of  God.  O  look  up,  be  noble,  dignified,  devoted, 
indefatigable :  for  we  are  loved  by  Him  whom  angels 
worship. 

The  holiday  season  of  1857  was  also  passed  in 
Scotland.    Part  was  spent  in  that  momentous  visit 


36 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


to  Portobello,  where  he  met  and  became  engaged  to 
Ellen  Douglas,  the  fifth  daughter  and  eighth  child  of 
William  Douglas  ;  her  mother's  maiden  name  was 
Anne  Oliver  Bruce.  Not  long  after  his  return  to 
Bedford,  Mackenzie  was  told  that  it  was  intended  to 
send  him  to  South  Central  Africa  along  with  a  party 
of  five  other  missionaries  who  were  appointed  to  be 
pioneers  and  founders  of  new  missions  in  the  heart  of 
the  dark  continent,  in  a  region  which  Livingstone's 
first  great  journey  across  the  continent  had  opened  up, 
as  it  seemed,  to  European  influences.  To  the  same 
friend  he  announces  the  important  event  in  the  follow- 
ing way : — 

It  is  now  settled  that  J.  S.  Moffat  and  I  form  the  mission 
at  Matabele — referred  to  in  the  last  Missionary  Chronick. 
There  are  other  two  going  besides  us,  to  a  station  farther 
north ;  but  arrangements  as  to  site,  etc.,  of  missions  cannot 
be  at  present  very  definite.  It  is  probable  we  shall  sail  in 
February  next.  I  hope  to  be  in  Scotland  next  month.  I 
daresay  I  shall  see  you  by  and  by. 

How  different  my  life  has  been  since  I  came  to  England, 
from  what  it  was  when  you  and  I  used  to  take  those  long, 
very  long  walks  of  an  evening  by  the  Lossie — discussing 
earnestly,  and  cheering  one  another  on.  I  suppose  this 
other  thing  is  iife,  and  that  was  its  introduction  or  vestibule. 
Are  you  the  same  Jamie  of  the  olden  time  ?  I  sometimes 
almost  doubt  concerning  my  own  identity,  so  great  is  the 
change  in  my  whole  mental  constitution.  I'm  afraid,  if 
there's  a  change  in  my  spiritual  state,  it's  not  much  for  the 
better,  if  any.  God  have  mercy  on  me  !  And  so  I'm  off  to 
Africa,  and  in  a  few  years  (God  helping  you)  you  will  be  the 

Rev.  James  Ross,  Congregational  minister  of   ,  in 

Scotland.  Very  well :  we  have  only  one  life  ;  His  glory  is 
our  highest  object  and  end ;  in  Scodand  and  in  Africa  let 
us  be  the  servants  of  Jehovah.  Then,  when  we  shall  meet 
before  His  throne,  we  shall  be  approved  of  Him. 

Mackenzie  had  long  desired  to  spend  part  of  his 
period  of  study  in  Edinburgh  ;  but  the  attraction  in 
that  direction  was  now  intensified  by  the  proximity 
of  that  home  at  Portobello  to  the  grey  metropolis  of 


FROM  BEDFORD  TO  CAPE  TOWN  37 


the  north.  He  obtained  the  consent  of  the  directors 
and  went  to  Edinburgh  in  December.  There  he 
remained  longer  than  had  been  expected,  through 
difficulties  met  by  the  directors  in  making  arrange- 
ments for  the  new  missionary  expedition.  But  he 
employed  his  time  very  fully  in  study.  He  made 
many  friends,  including  several  who  proved  most 
valuable  and  steady  allies  in  years  to  come.  Among 
these  the  chief  one  was  undoubtedly  the  late  Rev. 
Geo.  D.  Cullen,  M.A.,  who  was  so  long  prominent 
among  the  Christian  circles  of  Edinburgh. 

At  last  it  was  definitely  decided  that  the  missionary 
party  for  South  Africa  should  sail  early  in  the  month 
of  June  1858.  There  remained  nothing  to  do  but 
be  ordained  and  married,  make  the  final  preparations 
for  the  great  undertaking,  and  then  sail  forth  into 
the  unknown  future.  The  ordination  took  place  on 
Monday,  April  19th,  in  the  Queen  Street  Hall,  Edin- 
burgh. Though  a  comparative  stranger  in  the  city, 
Mackenzie  had  made  so  many  friends,  and  the  enter- 
prise in  which  he  was  about  to  embark  had,  partly 
through  its  association  with  the  name  of  Dr.  Living- 
stone, attracted  so  much  public  attention,  that  the 
hall  was  quite  crowded  on  this  occasion.  On  the 
platform,  besides  those  who  took  part  in  the  service, 
there  were  many  well-known  men,  including  "  Rabbi " 
Duncan,  of  the  New  College,  Edinburgh,  and  Rev.  Drs. 
John  Stoughton  and  Alexander  Raleigh.  Mackenzie 
believed  that  "  it  was  the  first  occasion  on  which  the 
three  dissenting  denominations  had  united  in  conduct- 
ing such  a  service."  The  Rev.  William  Pulsford  of 
Albany  Street  Congregational  Church  offered  the  first 
prayer,  and  the  Rev.  Geo.  D.  Cullen,  M.A.,  "  asked  the 
questions."  ^    An  address  on  "  Africa  as  a  Field  of 

^  The  following  were  the  questions  which,  according  to  Congrega- 
tional custom,  the  young  candidate  for  ordination  answered  in  public : — 
"(i)  What  leads  you  to  conclude  that  you  area  Christian?  (2)  What 
induced  you  to  devote  yourself  to  the  work  of  a  missionary  among  the 


38 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


Missions"  was  delivered  by  the  Rev.  Dr  Harper  of 
Leith,  Professor  in  the  United  Presbyterian  Divinity 
Hall,  and  the  "  charge"  to  the  young  minister  was 
given  by  Rev.  Dr  Lindsay  Alexander  of  Augustine 
Church,  Edinburgh.  The  ordination  prayer  was 
offered  by  the  Rev.  William  Swan,  formerly  missionar}^ 
in  Siberia  ;  an  address  on  the  claims  of  missions  was 
delivered  by  the  Rev.  Dr  Ewart,  Free  Church  Mis- 
sionary at  Calcutta,  in  the  absence  of  Principal  Cun- 
ningham ;  and  a  Free  Church  minister.  Rev.  Alex. 
Topp  (formerly  of  Elgin),  also  took  part  in  the  service. 

John  Mackenzie  and  Ellen  Douglas  were  married  at 
Portobello  on  April  27th,  1858;  a  hurried  trip  was 
made  to  Morayshire,  where  the  young  bride  was  made 
known  to  her  husband's  relatives  and  his  friends.  The 
young  couple  reached  London  towards  the  end  of 
May,  and  sailed  on  the  s.s.  Athens  on  June  5  th  from 
Southampton.  The  voyage  was  uneventful  and, 
judged  by  modern  speed,  very  slow,  as  they  did  not 
reach  Table  Bay  till  July  14th.  During  the  voyage 
the  four  young  missionaries,  who  were  to  be  so  closely 
associated  in  so  great  a  work,  had  opportunity  to 
know  each  other.  Two  of  them  were  Welshmen, 
the  Rev.  Roger  Price  and  the  Rev.  Thomas  Morgan 
Thomas.  One  was  from  Yorkshire,  the  Rev.  William 
Sykes.  Mackenzie  used  the  voyage  for  reading  a 
variety  of  books,  including  Livingstone's  "  Travels " 
and  for  breaking  ground  in  the  Dutch  grammar. 

When  the  ship  anchored  in  Table  Bay  it  was 
immediately  boarded  by  Robert  Moffat  and  the  Rev. 
William  Thompson,  the  Society's  agent  at  Cape  Town, 
and  the  father  of  its  present  well-known  Foreign 
Secretary,  the  Rev.  Ralph  Wardlaw  Thompson.  Dr 
Moffat  gave  the  new  missionaries  a  most  affectionate 
greeting,  and  at  once  set  to  work  with  his  untiring, 

heathen  ?  (3)  What  are  the  Doctrines  that  you  believe  to  be  contained  in 
the  Scriptures?  (4)  How  do  you  propose  to  exercise  your  ministry 
among  the  heathen  ?  " 


FROM  BEDFORD  TO  CAPE  TOWN  39 


indomitable  energy  to  prepare  for  the  journey  which 
lay  before  them  all,  as  far  as  his  own  station  of 
Kuruman. 

Thus  far  we  have  found  John  Mackenzie  to  be  a 
young  man  whose  whole  attention  was  concentrated 
on  his  own  religious  experience  and  on  the  effort  to  fit 
himself  for  the  career  of  a  missionary.  While  he  tried 
to  make  his  reading  as  wide  as  his  opportunities  would 
allow,  his  main  intellectual  life  gathered  about  his 
religion  and  his  chosen  career.  The  answer  which  he 
gave  at  his  ordination  to  the  fourth  question,  indicates 
that  he  was  by  no  means  narrow  in  his  views  even  at 
this  time.  By  reading  and  conversation  he  must  have 
already  obtained  that  broad  view  of  the  missionary's 
career  which  he  retained  to  the  end. 

"  First  of  all,"  he  said,  "  my  proper  work,  the  work 
of  my  life,  is  to  preach  the  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ  in 
public  and  from  family  to  family,  instructing  both 
young  and  old  in  the  sacred  Scriptures.  I  desire  to 
do  the  work  of  an  evangelist,  and  from  this  to  turn 
aside  neither  to  the  right  hand  nor  to  the  left.  .  .  . 
In  order  to  complete  the  work  of  elevating  the  people, 
he  (the  missionary)  must  teach  them  the  arts  of  civilised 
life.  If  we  exhort  them  to  lay  aside  the  sv/ord  for  the 
ploughshare  and  the  spear  for  the  pruning-hook,  we 
must  be  prepared  to  teach  them  to  use  the  one  with 
the  same  dexterity  which  they  exhibited  in  wielding 
the  other.  If  they  are  no  longer  to  start  upon  the 
marauding  expedition,  if  they  are  not  to  depend  upon 
the  precarious  results  of  the  chase,  then  we  must  teach 
them  to  till  their  own  land,  sow  and  reap  their  own 
crops,  build  their  own  houses,  as  well  as  tend  their  own 
flocks.  Nor  is  the  missionary  to  Africa  content  even 
when  all  this  is  accomplished.  He  longs  to  see  the 
African  united  in  friendly  intercourse  with  the  general 
brotherhood  of  the  race.  He  desires  to  see  the  African 
ship,  freighted  with  the  products  of  African  soil  and 


40 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


the  results  of  African  industry,  mingling  in  the  great 
ocean  with  the  ships  of  other  lands  and  returning  home 
richly  laden  with  the  varied  treasures  of  commerce." 

Notwithstanding  this  breadth  of  view  as  to  the  effects 
of  the  Gospel  upon  African  communities,  Mackenzie 
stands  at  twenty-three  years  of  age  on  South  African 
soil,  the  evangelist  pure  and  simple,  livingly  aware  only 
of  one  supreme  duty  and  imperious  call  from  the  throne 
of  God. 

It  is  well  to  recall  the  fact  that  he  had  laid  the  deep 
foundations  of  a  wider  view  of  his  mission  in  the  close 
study  of  his  own  character.  His  evangelism  was  not 
of  that  purely  emotional  and  superficial  type  which 
ignores  the  relation  of  divine  grace  to  conduct  and  the 
organic  structure  of  human  life.  He  knew  that  the 
authority  of  Christ  would  mould  his  personal  manhood 
into  the  likeness  of  Christ.  His  diary  is  full  of  this. 
It  shows  him  quivering  with  painful  sensitiveness  to 
the  disparities  that  show  themselves  to  his  own  eye 
between  himself  and  the  great  Model.  He  constantly 
recurs  to  certain  sins  and  faults  which  were  not  har- 
monious with  his  relation  to  God  in  Christ.  He  speaks 
of  his  pride  and  love  of  praise,  of  his  nervousness  before 
others,  his  lack  of  nobility  and  dignity  of  manner.  To 
him  these  were  sins  because  they  were  unworthy  of  a 
Christian  man.  To  him,  as  he  said,  "  meekness  was 
the  first-born  of  nobility  of  soul  "  ;  and  nobility  of  soul, 
which  he  once  called  "  a  mild  and  dignified  serenity," 
he  conceived  of  as  the  natural  and  almost  inevitable 
property  of  one  who  was  united  in  the  depths  of  his 
spirit  to  the  Son  of  God.  Those  who  knew  him  in 
later  years  will  be  amazed  to  learn  that  he  who  walked 
so  humbly  and  unselfishly,  ever  battled  with  the  devil 
of  pride  and  vainglory  ;  or  that  he  who  was  universally 
described  as  calm  and  self-controlled  ever  suffered  from 
the  sins  of  "  blushing  "  with  nervousness  and  of  feeling 
confused  when  confronted  by  strangers. 


FROM  BEDFORD  TO  CAPE  TOWN  41 

There  he  stands  at  Cape  Town,  with  his  face  to  the 
far  and  gloomy  north,  nearly  six  feet  in  height,  broad- 
shouldered  but  lithe  and  active,  with  his  fair  hair  thrown 
back  from  a  massive  forehead,  with  a  ruddy  beard  encir- 
cling his  strong  features,  with  those  deep-set,  light  blue 
eyes,  that  could  twinkle  with  amusement,  or  flash  "  sun- 
beams like  swords  "  in  a  moment  of  moral  indignation. 
Long  afterwards  an  observant  man  who  met  him  said, 
"  I  shook  hands  with  him  and  he  looked  right  through 
me!" 

From  those  regions  of  drought  and  fever,  of 
heathenism  and  strife,  he  often  carried  his  memory 
back  to  a  certain  quiet  nook  in  the  Ladies'  Walk, 
along  the  beloved  banks  of  the  Lossie  at  Elgin,  where 
he  knelt  down  one  evening  at  the  foot  of  a  tree  and 
uttered  one  strong  and  intense  prayer,  which  he  never 
forgot — "  O  Lord,  send  me  to  the  darkest  spot  on 
earth."    Neither  had  God  forgotten  it. 


CHAPTER  III 


"  WANDERJAHRE  "  (  I  85  8-1  864) 

When  our  band  of  young  missionaries  landed  in 
South  Africa  they  entered  upon  work  which  had 
been  already  ennobled  by  their  predecessors,  during 
almost  sixty  years  of  toil.  The  first  of  these,  the 
founder  of  the  London  Missionary  Society's  work 
in  South  Africa,  was  J.  T.  Vanderkemp,  a  Hollander, 
a  learned  linguist  and  man  of  science  who,  having 
given  his  heart  to  the  cause  of  foreign  missions, 
was  sent  to  South  Africa  in  1799,  at  fifty  years  of 
age.  In  181 5  there  landed  on  those  shores  one 
whose  name  was  destined  to  be  even  more  widely 
known  in  connection  with  South  Africa  ;  it  was 
Robert  Moffat.  In  18 19  Dr  Philip,  one  of  the 
greatest  personalities  associated  with  the  history  of 
Cape  Colony,  appeared  upon  the  scene.  He  gave 
up  brilliant  prospects  as  a  minister  in  the  homeland, 
to  found  mission  work  at  Cape  Town  and  to  be 
the  general  superintendent  of  the  London  Missionary 
Society's  operations  throughout  South  Africa.  He 
was  a  man  of  indomitable  courage,  penetrating  mind, 
sympathetic  heart,  and  clear  conscience.  He  made 
journeys  in  all  directions  throughout  the  colony,  and 
by  the  thoroughness  with  which  he  exposed  the  ill- 
treatment  of  the  native  tribes  by  the  white  settlers, 
he  at  once  awoke  the  undying  hatred  of  the  latter 
and  set  in  motion  many  forces  tending  to  improve 
the  condition  of  the  former.  To  this  day,  it  is  hard 
to  obtain  from  South  African  historians  anything 
like  a  moderate  and  fair  judgment  of  Dr  Philip's 
43 


WANDERJAHRE 


character  and  work.  He  had  been  dead  a  few  years 
when  our  young  missionaries  arrived  in  Cape  Colony. 

But  a  new  star  was  in  the  ascendant.  The  name 
of  Dr  Livingstone,  already  well  known  in  South 
Africa,  had  for  several  years  gained  fame  in  Europe 
also.  He  who  had  come  out  to  be  a  medical  mis- 
sionary and  had,  as  he  thought,  settled  down  for  life 
in  Bechuanaland  to  spread  the  gospel  amongst  the 
various  branches  of  that  race  north  of  Kuruman, 
was  driven  by  strange  events  from  his  chosen  fields 
of  labour.  The  Boers  of  the  Transvaal  had,  from 
the  time  of  the  Sand  River  Convention  in  1852, 
considered  Bechuanaland  as  finally  handed  over  to 
them  by  the  British  Government.  They  knew  what 
missionaries  had  been  doing  for  forty  years  in  Cape 
Colony ;  how  faithfully  they  had  stood,  in  face  of 
every  danger  and  opposition,  for  the  rights  of  the 
native  peoples ;  how  remarkably  their  education  of 
the  native  peoples  strengthened  the  latter  and  made 
it  impossible  for  the  farmers  to  treat  them  as  serfs. 
These  "  immigrant  farmers  "  of  the  Transvaal,  there- 
fore, very  bitterly  resented  the  energetic  and  suc- 
cessful way  in  which  Moffat  and  Livingstone  were 
opening  up  Christian  missions  amongst  the  Bechuana 
tribes,  and  they  set  themselves  to  destroy  these 
stations.  This  was  done  deliberately  and  system- 
atically. Dr  Moffat,  in  the  end  of  1 8  5  2,  describes 
no  less  than  four  missionary  stations  which  had 
already  been  blotted  out.  In  each  case  the  native 
teachers  were  driven  off,  the  people  of  the  district 
being  plundered  and  slain.  Amongst  these  stations 
was  that  of  Kolobeng,  where  Dr  Livingstone  had 
for  some  years  been  settled.  Dr  Theal,  the  well- 
known  South  African  historian,  amongst  other  attempts 
to  disparage  the  missionary  point  of  view  and  redeem 
from  contempt  the  attitude  of  the  Boers,  has  tried 
to  prove  that  the  destruction  of  Livingstone's  mission 


44 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


was  due  to  the  inhabitants  of  Kolobeng  and  not  to 
the  Boers.  His  bit  of  special  pleading  can  convince 
no  one  who  knows  the  bare  facts  of  the  case.  Amongst 
these  must  be  named  this,  that  Dr  Livingstone  himself 
shortly  afterwards  studied  the  evidence  on  the  spot, 
and  described  what  had  occurred  in  detail.  To 
imagine  that  the  people  amongst  whom  he  had  lived 
on  terms  of  intimacy  and  affection  could  unanimously 
deceive  him  in  such  a  matter  is  to  make  him  out 
to  be  one  of  the  dullest  of  dull  human  beings.  But 
the  fact  is  that  visitors  to  the  Marico  district,  in  the 
north-west  corner  of  the  Transvaal,  from  which  these 
plunderers  went  out,  had  for  many  years  afterwards 
abundant  evidences  given  to  them  that  the  Boers 
themselves  were  the  depredators.  Both  the  Rev. 
J.  S.  Moffat  and  Mackenzie  knew  intimately  the 
leading  Boers  of  that  district ;  knew  the  men  who 
had  led  on  that  expedition  to  Kolobeng  ;  knew  the 
houses  to  which  Dr  Livingstone's  furniture  had  been 
carried  ;  and  they  knew,  lastly,  that  the  utmost  the 
Boers  ever  said  for  themselves  was,  not  that  the 
natives  had  destroyed  Livingstone's  premises,  but 
that  the  rash  deed  had  been  done  by  the  wilder 
young  men  of  the  Boer  commando  without  the  approval 
of  their  elders.  It  was  left  for  ingenious  historians 
to  suggest,  without  a  particle  of  evidence,  that  the 
Bakwena  had  attacked  Livingstone's  premises. 

The  effect  of  the  pressure  which  the  Boers  exercised 
upon  the  policy  of  the  Bechuanaland  missionaries 
from  the  east,  and  the  hindrances  presented  by  the 
vast  Kalahari  desert  on  the  west,  had  been  to  direct 
the  eyes  of  the  pioneers  to  the  north  and  north-east. 
The  Bechuana  mission  gradually  became  a  long  series 
of  stations,  extending  from  south  to  north  many 
hundreds  of  miles,  from  the  Orange  River  up  to  the 
Zambesi.  The  work  of  exploration  which  preceded 
this  extension   of  the   mission   was   undertaken  by 


"  WANDERJAHRE 


45 


Livingstone.  His  discovery  of  a  portion  of  the 
Zambesi  in  i  8  5  i  proved  to  him  that  the  great  water- 
way was  being  made  a  chief  nourisher  of  the  cruel 
slave  trade.  He  therefore  resolved  to  find  some 
healthy  spots  in  that  region  where  missionaries  could 
live,  and  from  which  would  radiate  the  influences  that 
ever  prove  fatal  to  slavery.  In  pursuance  of  this  aim, 
Livingstone  set  out  two  years  later,  determined  to 
find  a  shorter  route  to  the  coast,  either  east  or  west, 
than  the  long  journey  by  ox-waggon  from  Cape  Town. 
He  reached  the  Makololo  country  once  more,  and 
found  the  chief  Sebetuane  as  friendly  as  ever.  These 
Makololo  had  been  driven  northward  all  the  way  from 
Basutoland  by  the  terrific  regiments  of  Moselekatse, 
the  renegade  Zulu  warrior  who  founded  the  Matabele 
tribe.  They  had  at  last  found  a  country  where  they 
were  protected  from  the  Matabele  both  by  the  river 
system  and  by  a  region  infested  with  that  tsetse  fly, 
which  is  so  fatal  to  cattle  and  horses.  From  Linyanti, 
the  Makololo  town,  Livingstone  went,  attended  by 
some  Makololo  servants,  to  St  Paul  de  Loanda  on 
the  west  coast,  where  he  arrived  on  May  3  i  st.  From 
that  place  he  returned  to  Linyanti  in  the  faithful  and 
self-sacrificing  fulfilment  of  a  promise  to  bring  those 
servants  back  to  their  own  town.  Then  he  set  out  on 
his  still  more  arduous  and  magnificent  journey  to 
Quilimane  on  the  east  coast,  where  he  arrived  on  May 
20th,  1856.  Before  he  left  Linyanti  he  got  a  promise 
from  the  chief  that,  when  he  returned  to  that  region, 
the  chief  would  lead  his  tribe  out  of  their  most  un- 
healthy place  of  refuge  to  a  higher  country  north  of 
the  Zambesi.  Livingstone  promised  that  missionaries 
would  settle  with  them  there  ;  and  they,  it  was  hoped 
would  prove  a  shield  to  the  Makololo,  warding  off 
any  further  attack  from  the  Matabele.  It  was  this 
agreement,  made  by  Livingstone,  which  led  the  London 
Missionary  Society  to  undertake  the  Makololo  Mission. 


46 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


In  what  we  now  call  South  Bechuanaland  the  work 
of  Christian  missions  had  been  already  very  fairly 
established  by  such  men  as  Robert  Moffat,  William 
Ashton,  Holloway  Helmore,  and  others.  Through 
their  labours  the  entire  Scriptures  had  been  translated, 
and  evangelistic  work  had  been  carried  on  at  various 
centres.  The  school  work,  being  the  weakest  spot  in  the 
history  of  the  Bechuanaland  missions,  had  been  begun  ; 
and  in  various  towns  native  teachers  laboured  more  or 
less  adequately  to  present  the  gospel  to  their  fellow 
countrymen.  One  of  the  most  interesting  spots  in 
South  Africa  must  always  be  the  famous  mission 
station  of  Kuruman  ;  in  1858  it  was  from  every  point 
of  view  one  of  the  most  important  places  outside  the 
Cape  Colony.  The  population  was  small,  and  its 
chief  by  no  means  a  man  of  power.  But  the  great 
missionary,  Robert  Moffat,  had  settled  there,  having 
obtained  a  most  valuable  grant  of  land  from  the  chief, 
on  behalf  of  the  Society.  The  little  valley,  watered 
from  an  abundant  and  perennial  spring,  he  with  much 
toil  and  patience  turned  into  one  of  the  most  fruitful 
spots  in  South  Africa.  Moffat's  training  as  a  Scottish 
gardener  stood  him  in  good  stead  at  Kuruman. 
Traders  in  South  Africa  usually  followed  the  "  mis- 
sionary road,"  and  some  store-keepers  settled  in  time 
at  Kuruman.  Moffat's  chief  delight  was  in  the  work 
of  an  itinerating  evangelist.  All  other  work  he  under- 
took as  an  inevitable  but  grievous  diversion  of  his 
energies  from  this.  He  therefore  made  almost  cease- 
less tours  of  all  the  native  villages  and  towns  within  a 
radius  of  twenty  miles  ;  and  when  he  formed  the 
church  at  Kuruman  the  converts  of  these  outposts 
became  members  of  that  church.  Thus  was  Kuruman 
made,  even  for  the  native  mind,  a  new  kind  of  capital. 
As  the  number  of  missionaries  in  Bechuanaland  in- 
creased the  importance  of  Kuruman  increased.  For 
there  he  lived  to  whom  they  all  looked  up  as  the 


WANDERJAHRE 


47 


leader  of  their  endeavours  and  the  untitled  chieftain  of 
their  circle.  Kuruman,  in  fact,  occupied  in  the  minds  of 
most  people  connected  with  the  Bechuana  mission, 
the  position  which  the  men  of  another  Christian  persua- 
sion accord  to  the  residence  of  a  missionary-bishop. 

The  missionary  party  to  which  Mackenzie  belonged 
received  much  help,  in  preparing  at  Cape  Town  for 
their  long  journey  northwards,  from  Robert  Moffat. 
They  were  all  prepared  like  enthusiastic  young  men 
to  array  themselves  under  his  inspiring  leadership. 
Amidst  their  busy  preparations  they  had  time  to  study 
a  little  the  conditions  of  life  in  that  colonial  capital 
whose  inhabitants  gave  them  a  warm  reception  and 
watched  their  proceedings  with  intense  interest.  For 
it  meant  much  to  Cape  Colony  that  it  should  be 
brought  into  living  connection  with  the  distant  regions 
of  the  Zambesi.  But  the  Christian  people  were  pre- 
pared to  welcome  them  for  their  work's  sake,  and  gave 
them  many  a  hearty  God-speed.  For  this  purpose  a 
large  meeting  was  held  just  before  their  departure,  at 
which  addresses  were  made  by  Cape  Town  citizens, 
and  by  several  of  the  missionaries.  This  meeting  has 
not  yet  been  forgotten  by  those  who  took  part  in  it, 
as  letters  received  even  since  the  death  of  Mackenzie 
prove.  His  own  speech  on  that  occasion  made  many 
friends  for  him,  who  never  forgot  his  name  and  watched 
his  career. 

Mackenzie  wrote  a  few  letters  from  Cape  Town  to 
his  home  friends  which,  being  the  first  despatched 
after  his  voyage,  contain  a  few  observations  on  the 
new  world  into  which  he  had  entered.  He  is  much 
struck  with  the  presence  of  the  Oriental  races  and  the 
celebrations  of  their  own  religious  rites.  He  observes 
that  nearly  all  the  main  branches  of  Protestant 
Christianity  are  represented  in  the  religious  life  of  the 
place.  One  letter  describes  a  glorious  day  which 
some  of  them  spent  climbing  Table  Mountain.  To 


43 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


James  Ross  he  sent  the  observation  that  American 
editions  of  standard  British  authors  were  being  sold  at 
Cape  Town  cheaper  than  in  England  (1858). 

The  missionaries  were  introduced  to  Sir  George 
Grey,  the  Governor  of  Cape  Colony,  and  were  very 
kindly  received  by  him.  Grey  was  one  of  the  few 
Cape  Governors  who  have  known  how  to  deal  fairly 
with  the  Cape  Dutch  and  yet  to  retain  their  confidence 
and  respect.  He  was  at  this  very  time  about  to  set 
out  on  a  journey  to  meet  with  some  Transvaal  Boers 
for  the  settlement  of  a  dispute,  and  his  mind  was 
much  occupied  with  rumours  of  the  wide  interpreta- 
tion which  these  people  had  put  upon  that  careless 
document,  the  Sand  River  Convention.  They  were 
already  extending  their  aggressive  policy  northward 
and  westward,  and,  as  we  shall  see,  even  Kuruman 
was  coming  rapidly  within  the  scope  of  their  "practical 
politics."  In  view  of  all  these  facts  it  was  a  matter  of 
some  importance  that  the  Governor  publicly  recognised 
the  new  missionary  enterprise,  and  frankly  expressed 
his  good-will  toward  the  representatives  of  the  London 
Missionary  Society. 

Robert  Moffat  resolved  to  leave  with  his  son  and 
family  before  the  rest  of  the  missionary  band,  in  order 
to  prepare  at  Kuruman  for  their  reception,  and  also  to 
prevent  the  taking  of  too  many  oxen  through  the 
country  at  the  same  time.  When  the  new  men  began 
their  journey  it  was  to  meet  with  the  severest  forms  of 
a  South  African  traveller's  loss  and  misery.  The 
cattle  which  had  been  bought  for  them  before  their 
arrival  turned  out  to  be  very  poor  ;  and  they  perished 
in  the  terrible  Karroo  in  large  numbers.  They  were  all, 
of  course,  struck  with  the  monotony  and  slowness  of 
the  South  African  mode  of  travelling.  "  The  fact  is," 
wrote  Mrs  Mackenzie,  "it  is  almost  impossible  to  write 
while  travelling,  as  we  have  to  do  in  South  Africa. 
There  is  an  awful  waste  of  time  connected  with  it  and 


WANDERJAHRE  " 


we  cannot  help  it ;  we  must  get  to  our  journey's  end, 
and  this  is  the  only  available  mode  of  doing  so.  If 
poor  South  Africa  is  to  be  Christianised  at  an  ox- 
waggon  pace,  what  will  become  of  the  heathen  children 
for  many  generations  ?  " 

They  reached  Beaufort  West  on  October  9th,  and 
there  were  the  guests  of  a  Mr  Frazer,  minister  of  the 
Dutch  Reformed  Church,  and  his  family.  Mr  Frazer 
had  come  from  the  north  of  Scotland,  and  was 
delighted  to  meet  with  one  who  had  more  or  less 
acquaintance  with  a  number  of  his  old  college 
friends  and  others.  Mackenzie  preached  to  the 
English-speaking  people  on  the  Sabbath  and  re- 
ceived an  invitation  to  settle  among  them  as  their 
minister.  The  following  brief  extracts  give  an 
interesting  glimpse  of  Mr  Frazer's  family,  from 
which  there  sprung  some  well-known  South  Africans, 
including  the  wife  of  President  Steyn  of  the  Orange 
Free  State  : — 

Although  Mr  Frazer  has  been  in  this  Colony  ever  since 
he  was  a  young  man,  he  still  retains  his  Highland  accent. 
He  has  been  married  twice  and  has  a  family  of  ten,  six  sons 
and  four  daughters.  His  two  eldest  daughters  are  married, 
one  in  Cape  Town,  the  other  in  Beaufort,  to  a  very  nice  young 
Scotsman  who  has  a  general  store.  One  son  is  studying  for 
the  ministry  in  Holland  and  another  medicine  in  Aberdeen ; 
the  others  are  quite  young.  Mrs  Frazer  is  Dutch  and  speaks 
only  that  language,  and  you  may  imagine  how  awkward  I 
often  felt.  She  understands  English  quite  well,  for  it  is 
spoken  regularly  in  the  family,  but  then  I  could  not  always 
understand  her  Dutch.  However,  she  is  an  excellent  woman 
and  was  very  kind  to  me,  and  there  was  generally  some  one 
of  the  children  at  hand  to  interpret.  All  the  English-speaking 
people  here  speak  Dutch,  from  the  eldest  to  the  youngest. 
It  is  amusing  to  hear  the  young  children  speak  both 
languages.  English  parents,  however,  never  allow  their 
children  to  speak  in  Dutch  at  home.  This  I  don't  wonder 
at  for  it  gives  to  their  English  a  peculiar  accent  which  indeed 
all  the  Africanders  have  to  a  large  extent,  and  which  I  don't 
admire. 

1  D 


50 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


Who  has  adequately  described  Hfe  in  an  ox-waggon 
in  South  Africa  ?  There  is  a  poetry  as  well  as  a 
misery  about  it  to  which  no  writer  has  yet  done 
justice.  Various  missionaries  and  hunters  have 
recorded  their  particular  experiences,  especially  the 
hardships  of  special  journeys.  But  it  remains  for 
some  gifted  pen,  ere  that  peculiar  mode  of  transport 
disappears,  to  picture  its  fascinations  as  well  as  its 
limitations,  its  freedom  as  well  as  its  confinement,  its 
constant  human  interest  as  well  as  its  monotony. 
The  following  extract  from  a  letter  of  Mackenzie's 
written  in  the  first  stage  of  this  his  first  journey  gives 
an  all  too  rare  glimpse  of  the  actual  life  : — 

Mitchell  Pass  near  Ceres, 
September  1858. 

Here  we  are,  after  a  week's  journeying  by  the  ox-waggon, 
in  a  wild  but  beautiful  part  of  Southern  Africa.  For  the  last 
few  days  we  have  been  surrounded  by  mountains,  some  of  the 
peaks  of  which  are  clad  with  snow,  although  lying  under  a 
sun  which  to  us  was  actually  broiling.  Bain's  Kloof  and  Pass, 
which  we  have  just  passed  through,  have  many  attractions  to 
the  lover  of  the  grand  and  imposing  in  nature.  Masses  of 
rock  have  in  many  instances  been  blasted  to  a  great  depth, 
in  order  to  form  the  road  by  which  we  travelled.  I  have 
never  seen  masses  of  rock  so  ancient  looking^  and  yet  they 
are  chiefly  sandstone. 

We  outspanned  some  days  ago  beside  a  brook,  and  really  I 
thought  more  than  once  that  Ellen  and  I  were  returning  to 
the  age  of  childhood.  We  went  repeatedly  together  to  wash 
our  hands  in  the  dancing  stream,  and  as  we  sat  there 
together  after  the  genuine  Arcadian  fashion  (do  you  know 
it  ?),  I  felt  sure  that  there  were  many  people  in  this  world  of 
ours  far  less  happy  than  this  brother  and  sister  of  yours.  We 
gathered  wild  flowers,  too,  day  after  day,  and  the  top  of  my 
waggon  looks  rather  gay  I  can  assure  you.  We  enjoy  the 
company  of  our  brethren  and  sisters  very  much.  We  form 
quite  a  village,  and  there  is  no  loneliness  where  we  chance  to 
encamp.  On  Friday  night  we  reached  the  highest  part  of 
Bain's  Kloof,  and  outspanned  where  indeed  the  place  seemed 
lonely.    Baboons,  too,  came  in  numbers  to  gaze  at  the  first 


"  WANDER] AHRE"  51 


of  our  party  who  reached  the  spot,  but  they  soon  retired, 
and  their  chatter  was  succeeded  by  the  merry  laugh  of  our 
men  as  they  surrounded  the  fire  and  cooked  our  evening 
meal.  Ellen  and  I  were  detained  a  few  days  behind  the  rest 
in  Cape  Town,  but  came  up  to  them  after  three  days' 
travelling  by  ourselves.  They  started  on  the  Tuesday  and 
we  on  the  Saturday.  We  met  again  on  the  following 
Wednesday.  Waggon-travelling  has  not  had  the  slightest 
injurious  effect  on  Ellen — indeed  she  enjoys  it  quite  as 
much  as  any  of  the  others.  We  are  all  very  busy  while 
travelling.  There  is  always  something  to  do.  Either  we  have 
to  give  the  men  their  food,  or  sort  something  about  the  waggon, 
or  get  something  cooked  for  ourselves.  We  have  ?io  time 
for  writing  letters.  I  am  sorry  for  this,  for  almost  every 
hour  I  see  things  which  would  be  interesting  if  narrated. 
Ellen  is  also  very  sorry  that  she  cannot  write  more  to  you 
and  to  all  our  dear  relatives.  We  both  hope,  however,  that 
we  shall  be  able  by  and  by  to  write  more  to  you  all.  In  the 
meantime  don't  let  your  pen  rest,  but  send  us  many  such 
letters  as  that  which  you  sent  from  Portobello. 

We  are  now  inspanning,  inyoking  our  oxen.  We  reach 
Ceres  to-night,  and  this  must  be  posted  there  in  order  to 
reach  Cape  Town  in  time  for  the  September  mail. 

It  is  very  hot,  but  we  get  some  fine  oranges  at  the  farm- 
houses at  the  wayside,  which  are  very  pleasant  and  refreshing. 
Part  of  this  letter  was  written  under  the  shade  of  a 
bush,  but  my  ink  falling  down  the  sloping  bank,  I  changed 
my  position  and  finished  it  in  my  waggon,  which  by  the  way 
we  have  named  "  Patience  Lodge." 

From  Beaufort,  Mackenzie  sent  a  letter  to  the 
Directors  of  the  London  Missionary  Society,  from 
which  the  follow^ing  extracts  are  made  : — 

Letjesbosch  near  Beaufort  West,  S.A., 
October  9,  1858. 

Mr  Moffat,  having  interested  himself  in  procuring  waggons, 
oxen,  etc.,  for  the  missionary  party,  left  Cape  Town  on  the  24th 
of  August,  accompanied  by  Mrs  Moffat,  Mr  and  Mrs  John 
Moffat,  Mrs  Livingstone  and  sons,  and  Miss  Jane  Moffat, 
who  is  now  returning  from  school  in  England.  On  the  31st 
of  August  Mr  Helmore,  with  the  three  young  brethren, 
started  ;  but  Mrs  Mackenzie,  having  exerted  herself  too  much 


52 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


in  preparing  for  the  journey,  became  quite  unwell  at  this 
juncture,  and,  to  the  disappointment  of  both,  the  medical 
man  would  not  allow  us  to  leave  with  the  others.  On 
Saturday,  the  4th  of  September,  however,  she  had  so  far 
improved  that  he  gave  his  consent  to  our  starting,  and  we 
overtook  Mr  Helmore  and  party  on  the  following  Wednesday 
near  Wellington.  I  am  thankful  to  say  that  Mrs  Mackenzie's 
health  has  continued  good  since  commencing  the  journey, 
and  I  have  no  doubt  but  that  with  care  and  God's  blessing 
it  will  continue  so. 

I  shall  not  attempt  in  this  letter  to  describe  either  the 
country  through  which  we  have  passed,  or  the  details  con- 
nected with  our  waggon-travelUng.  On  the  latter  subject,  I 
shall  only  say  that  an  ox-waggon  is  not  particularly  adapted 
for  letter-writing,  nor  is  it  quite  the  place  in  which  one  who  is 
fond  of  reading  would  choose  to  Hve.  However,  it  is  just 
the  thing  for  travelling  in  this  country,  and  this  is  our  great 
object  at  present. 

I  am  very  sorry  to  say  that  the  accounts  which  had  reached 
England  before  our  departure,  concerning  the  high  price  and 
bad  condition  of  oxen  in  this  Colony  were  but  too  true. 
The  oxen  which  were  purchased  for  us  at  the  Cape  at  a  very 
high  figure  were,  in  general,  miserable  looking  creatures,  and 
as  the  event  has  proved,  too  weak  for  such  a  journey.  We 
have  not  now  half  the  number  with  which  we  started  from 
Cape  Town.  One  by  one  they  have  dropped  down  on  the 
road,  and  in  most  cases  we  can  do  nothing  with  them  in 
the  way  of  doctoring  them,  for  the  disease  generally  is 
exhaustion.  In  the  parched  and  barren  Karroo  great 
numbers  have  fallen,  and  all  along  the  road  there  were 
evidences  that  travellers  who  had  preceded  us  had  been 
equally  if  not  more  unfortunate.  In  half-an-hour  I  have 
counted  the  skeletons  of  half-a-dozen  oxen,  as  I  sat  on  the 
front  of  my  waggon,  which  vehicle,  as  you  are  aware,  would 
not  go  over  a  great  extent  of  ground  in  that  space  of  time. 
At  a  place  called  Vlak  Place,  about  eight  days'  journey  from 
Beaufort,  we  held  a  consultation  on  the  subject  of  our  oxen, 
when  it  was  found  necessary  to  leave  one-half  of  the  waggons 
where  they  were,  there  being  no  oxen  to  pull  them,  while  the 
other  three  should  proceed  to  Beaufort  and  send  back 
assistance.  Mr  Price,  Mr  Sykes,  and  I  being  worst  off  for 
oxen,  it  was  thought  fair  that  we  should  remain  behind,  while 
Mr  Helmore's  two  waggons,  with  Mr  Thomas's,  should 


"  WANDER]  AHRE"  53 


proceed.  However,  Mr  and  Mrs  Helmore,  thinking  it 
unadvisable  that  Mrs  Mackenzie  should  remain,  recom- 
mended that  I  should  leave  my  waggon  in  charge  of  my 
brethren,  and  offered  us  both  a  place  in  one  of  their 
waggons.  Travelling  thus  we  reached  this  place  on  Friday. 
I  am  now  within  a  day  or  so  of  Beaufort.  We  have  already 
purchased  some  oxen  here,  and  hope  that  soon  we  shall  be 
able  to  procure  a  sufficient  number  to  send  back  for  our 
brethren.  They  are  pretty  comfortably  located  beside  a 
small  river,  and  have  a  kind  Boer  in  their  vicinity,  who  will 
sell  them  sheep,  etc.,  so  with  their  own  supplies  there  is  not 
the  slightest  cause  for  anxiety. 

The  state  of  affairs  between  the  Dutch  Boers  beyond  the 
Colony  and  some  of  the  native  tribes  is  very  unsatisfactory, 
and  at  times  alarming.  We  have  heard  lately  that  the 
Kuruman  is  not  considered  safe,  by  some  who  reside  there, 
but  we  fondly  hope  that  such  fears  will  turn  out  to  be 
groundless.  By  and  by  we  shall  have  full  information  on 
this  important  subject,  which  we  cannot  procure  here  in  the 
desert. 

At  Victoria  West  the  entire  party  were  most 
generously  received  by  a  farmer  in  the  neighbourhood. 
His  brother  had  already  given  to  Robert  Moffat 
twenty-eight  oxen  to  take  him  to  Hope  Town  from 
Beaufort,  of  which  only  seventeen  "  were  spared  to 
return,"  as  one  correspondent  quaintly .  expresses  it. 
This  farmer  gave  to  Price  and  Mackenzie  free  pas- 
turage for  their  oxen  as  long  as  they  stayed  there. 
Thus  they  received  their  first  pleasant  experiences  of 
the  far-famed  South  African  hospitality.  Mackenzie 
arrived  at  Kuruman  on  the  first  day  of  the  year  1859. 
On  March  ist  he  wrote  a  letter  reporting  the  re- 
mainder of  his  journey,  and  surveying  the  whole  of  it. 

Kuruman,  u/  March  1859. 

My  former  letter  from  Cape  Town  conveyed  the  intelli- 
gence of  the  safe  and  speedy  termination  of  the  first  stage  in 
our  long  journey. 

Had  the  second  stage  from  Cape  Town  to  Kuruman  been 
equally  prosperous  with  the  first  (we  could  not  expect  it  to 
be  so  speedy),  my  present  task  had  been  both  easy  and 


54 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


pleasant.  As  the  case  stands,  however,  I  feel  it  will  be 
necessary  to  enter  into  the  details,  so  far  as  they  affect  me, 
of  a  journey  which  has  been  disastrous  and  protracted,  and 
therefore  expensive  and  unpleasant. 

I  was  detained  a  few  days  in  Cape  Town  behind  my 
brethren,  on  account  of  Mrs  Mackenzie's  health,  which  had 
been  affected  by  her  exertions  in  preparing  for  the  journey. 
Starting  on  Saturday,  the  4th  September,  we  rejoined  our 
friends  on  the  8th  at  a  mountain  pass  called  Bain's  Kloof,  a 
little  beyond  the  town  of  Wellington. 

I  found  that  already  some  of  the  oxen  had  died  from 
sheer  exhaustion ;  in  this  pass  more  were  added  to  this 
number  ;  and  when  we  came  to  the  entrance  of  the  Karroo, 
seven  oxen  were  sold  for  a  head  rather  than  bring  them 
a  httle  further,  where  we  should  only  have  got  about  half 
that  sum  for  the  hide. 

In  the  Karroo  our  loss  was  fearful.  At  that  season  there 
was  next  to  nothing  for  the  poor  animals  to  eat,  and  being 
in  most  wretched  condition  when  they  came  into  our  posses- 
sion, they  daily  fell  down  in  the  yoke  unable  to  move 
another  step.  .  .  . 

At  Beaufort  we  disposed  of  nearly  all  the  Cape  Town 
oxen  on  very  fair  terms,  and  purchased  others  which  were 
fresh  and  in  good  condition.  In  dividing  these  oxen 
amongst  ourselves,  we  endeavoured  to  equalise  the  strength 
of  the  six  spans. 

It  was  thought  advisable  that  Mr  Sykes  and  I  should 
travel  together  from  Beaufort  to  Victoria,  because  at  that 
time  we  both  had  white  men  as  our  drivers,  who  would  not 
deign  to  sit  at  the  same  fire  with  their  black  brethren  of  the 
whip,  but  who  being  father  and  son,  of  course,  agreed  well 
enough  at  a  fire  by  themselves. 

Mr  Price  and  I  accepted  a  kind  invitation  tendered  to 
the  whole  party  by  some  friends  in  Victoria  West,  to  rest 
and  feed  our  cattle  there  before  entering  the  dry  and  sterile 
district  between  Victoria  and  Hope  Town.  A  large  house 
was  placed  at  our  disposal  rent  free,  and  pasture  granted  for 
our  oxen  on  the  same  easy  terms.  Our  friends  had  only 
one  request  to  make,  to  which  we  were  happy  to  accede, 
viz.  :  that  we  should  preach  to  them.  We  remained  at  this 
place,  much  to  our  own  pleasure  and  the  benefit  of  our  oxen, 
rather  more  than  a  fortnight ;  and  after  all  reached  Hope 
Town  three  days  after  two  of  our  brethren. 


WANDERJAHRE"  55 


At  Hope  Town  we  found  the  Black  or  Orange  River  im- 
passable at  the  ford  eastward  along  the  bank  of  the  Orange 
River,  until  we  reached  the  place  where  it  is  joined  by  the 
Vaal.  There  we  crossed  by  means  of  a  boat,  emptying  our 
waggons  and  taking  them  to  pieces. 

While  at  Hope  Town,  reports  of  a  very  warlike  character 
reached  us  concerning  the  movements  of  the  Transvaal 
Boers.  It  was  believed  by  the  agent  of  our  Government  at 
Hope  Town,  as  well  as  by  other  gentlemen  who  had  means 
of  obtaining  intelligence  concerning  the  movements  of  the 
Boers,  that  Kuruman  was  about  to  be  attacked.  On  reach- 
ing Griqua  Town,  Mr  P.  and  I  rode  on  to  Kuruman  to  see 
for  ourselves  the  real  state  of  matters,  and  to  get  the  advice 
of  our  brethren  concerning  the  propriety  of  bringing  forward 
our  waggons.  Being  satisfied  that  there  was  no  immediate 
danger,  we  returned  for  our  waggons,  which  we  brought  to 
Kuruman  on  the  first  day  of  1859. 

As  to  the  journey  between  Cape  Town  and  Beaufort,  it 
was  managed  entirely  by  Mr  Helmore,  who  has  no  doubt 
advised  you  on  the  subject. 

I  attribute  the  success  of  the  latter  part  of  my  journey  to 
our  having  good  oxen  to  begin  with ;  to  our  travelling 
rapidly  thro'  the  worst  districts ;  to  our  travelling  chiefly 
at  night ;  and  to  our  separating  at  Beaufort  into  parties  of 
two  waggons  each. 

As  an  incident  of  the  journey,  I  may  mention  that  while  at 
Beaufort,  I  was  invited  to  take  charge  of  a  church  which  the 
English-speaking  population  were  desirous  of  having  formed 
among  them.  A  liberal  salary  was  offered,  guaranteed  for 
five  years,  and  other  inducements  held  out.  But  my  answer 
was  ready,  an  answer  which  Mr  Moffat  had  led  them  to 
expect  when  he  passed  through  the  place.  In  the  full  con- 
viction that  my  work  lay  further  north,  I  had  pleasure  in 
advising  with  them  as  to  procuring  another,  and  in  com- 
mending them  to  the  care  and  blessing  of  God. 

The  missionaries  were  soon  engrossed  in  most 
earnest  discussion  of  plans  for  the  next  stage  of  their 
journey.  The  plan  as  outlined  was  that  Robert 
Moffat  should  accompany  the  missionaries  to  the 
Matabele  tribe,  these  consisting  of  Messrs  John  S. 
Moffat,  William  Sykes,  and  Morgan  Thomas.  Along 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


with  them  would  travel  as  far  as  possible  those 
who  were  appointed  to  the  Makololo  Mission.  The 
man  of  experience  amongst  these  was  the  late 
Holloway  Helmore,  and  with  him  were  to  go  the 
late  Roger  Price  and  John  Mackenzie.  In  the  course 
of  their  deliberations  Mackenzie  formulated  a  plan 
which  he  submitted  to  the  band,  but  which  was 
rejected  by  them  chiefly  through  the  urgent  dissuasions 
of  Mr  Helmore.  This  he  describes  in  a  letter  to  the 
Directors  from  which  we  have  already  quoted  : — 

{\st  March  1859.) 

As  to  the  part  of  our  journey  still  before  us,  we  begin  to 
perceive,  with  all  the  force  which  nearness  lends,  the  reality 
of  its  difficulties.  Our  minds  were  formerly  occupied  with 
difficulties  then  present;  sufficient  to  those  days  were  their 
evils  ;  but  now  we  are  at  liberty  fully  to  contemplate  what  we 
shall  have  to  meet  and  contend  with  and  through  God's  help 
to  overcome,  between  Kuruman  and  the  north  bank  of  the 
Zambesi. 

After  giving  my  best  consideration  to  our  position,  it  is  my 
opinion  that  the  Makololo  brethren  should,  in  the  first  place, 
make  a  "  bachelor  expedition  "  to  Linyanti,  get  the  Makololo 
to  remove  to  some  healthy  locality  on  the  north  bank  of  the 
Zambesi,  build  temporary  huts  for  ourselves  and  our  goods, 
then  retrace  our  steps  to  Kuruman  for  our  wives  and  the 
remaining  part  of  our  goods.  In  the  interim,  if  possible, 
leave  with  the  people  a  native  teacher  who,  along  with  our 
property  left  in  their  midst,  would  sufficiently  attest  that  we 
were  not  "  gulling  "  them. 

Of  course,  the  greatest  objection  to  this  plan  is  that  it 
would  take  so  much  time  in  the  accomplishment.  Now  this 
is  an  objection  ;  but  it  has  to  be  balanced  against  others 
connected  with  the  bringing  of  females  and  children  into  that 
country  in  the  present  uncertain  state  of  matters.  From  all 
I  can  learn  from  those  who  have  lived  long  in  this  country, 
it  is  neither  an  easy  nor  a  speedy  matter  to  induce  a  native 
tribe  to  shift  its  quarters,  without  force,  even  after  they 
have  promised  to  do  so.  Again,  the  position  in  which 
the  Makololo  will  be  placed  if  they  agree  to  our  wishes  will 
be  right  in  the  teeth  of  their  enemies  the  Matabele,  a  cir- 


"  WANDERJAHRE"  57 


cumstance  which,  notwithstanding  all  the  assurances  which 
may  be  advanced  to  them,  will  not  at  all  tend  to  hasten 
their  removal.  Further,  the  deadliness  of  the  climate  forms 
in  itself  a  strong  reason  why  the  health  of  females,  and 
especially  of  children,  should  not  be  hazarded  until  we  have 
the  sure  prospect,  with  the  blessing  of  God,  of  there 
establishing  a  mission. 

The  plans  of  the  missionaries  were  much  disturbed 
by  the  persistent  rumours  concerning  the  purpose  and 
movements  of  the  Transvaal  Boers.  M.  W.  Pretorius 
had  but  recently  succeeded  in  reconciling  warring 
factions  and  establishing  the  South  African  Republic, 
nearly  six  years  after  the  Sand  River  Convention. 
In  a  recent  message  to  his  Raad  he  had  given  it  as 
his  decided  opinion  that  the  missionaries  of  the 
London  Missionary  Society  had  done  and  continued 
to  do  much  harm  amongst  the  natives  ;  and  he  asked 
his  Raad  to  decide  whether  their  continued  labours 
and  even  their  presence  north  of  the  Vaal  River  should 
be  tolerated  any  longer.  Pretorius  acted  on  the 
theory  that  the  Sand  River  Convention  of  1852  had 
given  over  all  the  interior  of  South  Africa  to  his 
people  and  government.  The  convenient  phrase, 
"  North  of  the  Vaal  River,"  was  stretched  by  them 
very  far  westwards,  and  the  spirit  of  the  convention, 
as  Dr  Moffat  in  one  of  his  letters  pointed  out,  was 
interpreted  by  announcing  to  the  chiefs  in  Bechuana- 
land  that  the  Queen  had  handed  them  over  to  the 
Transvaal  Government.  Moffat  received  also  a 
personal  message  from  Pretorius,  who  was  alarmed  at 
the  prospect  of  a  large  band  of  missionaries  travelling 
through  the  interior  to  the  Zambesi,  in  which  he 
warned  them  not  to  begin  their  journey  without 
express  permission  from  himself.  Rumours  were  sent 
flying  across  the  country  that  the  Boers  intended  to 
send  an  expedition  westwards  into  South  Bechuanaland, 
early  in  1859.  The  prospect  was  so  dark  at  one 
time  that  the  Moffats  sent  a  portion  of  their  goods  for 


58 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


safety  to  Hope  Town,  and  Mackenzie  deemed  it 
imperative  to  take  his  wife  into  the  Orange  Free  State. 

Here  it  ought  also  to  be  recorded  that  Pretorius  had 
formed  the  astute  plan  of  settling  German  Missionaries 
in  the  interior  to  keep  out  and  supplant  the  agents  of 
the  London  Missionary  Society,  He  succeeded  in 
obtaining  representatives  of  the  famous  Hermannsburg 
Mission,  several  of  whom  were  already  at  work.  If 
he  had  been  successful  in  realising  this  plan  he  would 
have  changed  South  African  history  profoundly.  For 
German  Missionaries,  under  the  patronage  of  the 
Transvaal  Government,  would  have  made  the  interior 
of  South  Africa,  Dutch  or  German  permanently. 
Various  events  interfered  with  its  success  ;  amongst 
these  we  must  name  as  the  most  important  a  vigorous 
correspondence  which  was  carried  on  with  the  officials 
of  the  German  Society  by  the  officials  of  the  London 
Missionary  Society,  but  most  especially  by  Robert 
Moffat  and  John  Mackenzie.  These  two  sent  repeated 
and  powerful  letters  of  expostulation  and  explanation. 
It  is  not  too  much  to  say  that  in  this  affair  the 
missionaries  took  the  first  important  steps  towards 
opening  South  Central  Africa  to  British  supremacy  ; 
which,  as  we  shall  see,  they  have  done  more  than  any 
other  class  of  men  to  secure. 

In  view  of  the  expected  Boer  raid,  and  his  wife's 
health,  Mackenzie  went  in  May  1859  to  Fauresmith. 
While  there  he  heard,  in  June,  that  his  brethren  were 
preparing  for  an  immediate  start  northward.  He  at 
once  set  out  on  horseback,  accompanied  by  the  Rev. 
W.  B.  Philip  of  Philippolis,  and  rode  to  Kuruman 
across  the  country  which  he  was  destined  to  traverse 
so  often  many  years  afterwards.  He  found  that  Mr 
Helmore's  warm  and  impulsive  nature  had  led  him  to 
declare  that  he  would  begin  his  journey  at  once,  and 
must  take  his  family  with  him.  This  vigorous  action 
of  course  determined   the  movements  of  the  rest, 


WANDERJAHRE"  59 


Mackenzie  excepted.  For  him  it  was  arranged 
that  he  should  return  as  soon  as  possible  to  Kuru- 
man,  remaining  there  in  charge  of  the  station,  and 
follow  with  supplies  in  the  next  year. 

At  Fauresmith  on  July  i6th  there  was  born  to 
Mackenzie  his  eldest  child  and  son.  He  returned 
to  Kuruman  in  August,  and  settled  down  to  his 
work  until  the  middle  of  the  following  year.  The  chief 
part  of  this  consisted  in  the  mastery  of  the  Sechuana 
language,  and  in  making  various  tours  among  heathen 
villages  and  towns,  for  preaching  the  gospel. 

At  length,  on  May  25th,  i860,  Mackenzie  set  out 
on  his  momentous  journey  to  the  Zambesi.  The 
experiences  which  he  encountered  have  been  fully 
described  by  him  in  "  Ten  Years  North  of  the  Orange 
River."  In  that  volume  he  gives  six  chapters  to 
narrate  his  own  movements,  his  minute  and  accurate 
observations  of  native  customs — especially  among  the 
Bushmen — the  fate  of  the  mission  party  which  he 
was  attempting  to  reach,  and  the  extinction  of  the 
Makololo,  the  very  people  among  whom  they  had 
hoped  to  establish  a  new  mission.  It  is  unneces- 
sary to  describe  in  any  detail  what  he  himself  has 
recorded  in  these  chapters.^ 

He  tells  us  that  he  set  out  with  four  waggons, 
three  horses,  over  seventy  oxen  and  about  a  dozen 
men.  Among  his  native  servants,  the  most  valuable 
was  undoubtedly  Mebalwe,  the  former  servant  of 
David  Livingstone,  who  shared  with  him  so  bravely 
the  dangers  of  the  famous  lion  fight.  It  ought  to 
be  observed  that,  as  the  result  of  his  method  of 
organising  the  work  of  his  servants,  Mackenzie  re- 
ports that  his  cattle  did  not  stray  once  during  all 
the  months  of  their  journeying.  Mackenzie  may 
be  deemed  especially  fortunate  in  having  crossed 
the    desert    regions,    through   which   others  passed 

^  "Ten  Years  North  of  the  Orange  River,"  chapters  vii.-xii. 


6o 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


only  at  the  cost  of  very  great  suffering  and  loss, 
without  serious  accident  of  any  kind.  This  was  due 
in  very  large  measure  to  his  own  genius  for  organisa- 
tion, to  the  prudence  with  which  he  foresaw  and 
prepared  for  emergencies,  and  the  personal  influence 
which  he  exercised  even  over  complete  strangers  from 
whom  he  sought  accurate  information. 

As  he  passed  through  Bechuanaland,  Mackenzie 
once  more  felt  a  deep  surprise  at  seeing  so  many 
large  native  towns  which  were  willing  to  rfeceive  a 
missionary,  and  to  which  none  had  been  sent.  The 
question  arose  more  than  once  in  his  mind,  whether  it 
was  wise  to  leave  these  regions  with  inadequate  pro- 
vision in  order  to  reach  those  distant  tribes  to  which 
he  himself  was  going.  At  Liteyana  he  for  the  first  time 
saw  the  well-known  chief  Sechele,  whom  Mackenzie 
describes  as  the  "  finest  specimen  of  the  Bechuanas  "  ^ 
whom  he  had  yet  seen  ;  he  was  "  tall  and  well  made, 
with  an  open  countenance,  and  unusually  large  eyes." 

On  July  20th  he  found  himself  in  Shoshong,  where 
he  was  destined  to  spend  so  many  years  of  his  prime  ; 
he  found  here  a  very  large  tribe  gathered  under  a  very 
able  and  quite  unscrupulous  chief  named  Sekhome.  A 
German  missionary  had  been  at  work  there  for  a  short 
time,  by  name  Mr  Schulenborg  ;  he  had  been  very 
successful,  having  formed  a  school  and  the  beginnings 
of  an  organised  church  ;  among  those  whom  he  had 
baptised  were  the  two  sons  of  Sekhome,  named  Khame 
and  Khamane.  Here  Mackenzie  met  Robert  Moffat, 
on  his  way  back  from  Matabeleland,  who  gave  a 
very  encouraging  account  of  the  reception  given  by 
Moselekatse  to  himself  and  the  three  young  mission- 
aries ;  this  news  made  them  both  more  eager  to  hear 
how  it  had  fared  with  Helmore  and  Price  on  their 
more  hazardous  undertaking.  In  a  few  days  Mac- 
kenzie started  again,  after  making  some  careful  plans 

^  "  Ten  Years  North  of  the  Orange  River,"  p.  105. 


^'WANDERJAHRE"  6i 


for  "  the  great  thirst  land "  which  they  were  about 
to  cross.  We  must  content  ourselves  with  insert- 
ing here  a  letter  in  which,  on  his  return  to  Shoshong, 
Mackenzie  described  to  the  Directors  of  the  London 
Missionary  Society  the  dreary  result  of  all  the  plans 
and  efforts  to  establish  the  Makololo  Mission. 

Bamangwato,  \th  Dec,  i860. 

Rev.  Dr  Tidman. 

Rev.  and  Dear  Sir, — This  note  is  written  in  a  great 
haste  in  order  that  it  may  be  sent  with  some  travellers  who 
leave  this  town  to-day.  I  must,  therefore,  compress  into  a 
few  lines  an  account  of  my  journey  from  the  date  of  my 
leaving  this  place  in  the  end  of  July  last. 

Between  Kanne  and  Nchokotsa  there  lies  a  most  trying 
country  for  travellers.  The  waters  are  far  apart,  and  deep 
sand  intervenes.  However,  on  Tuesday  the  7th  August  we 
reached  Nchokotsa  without  knowing  what  thirst  was,  and 
the  oxen  all  right.  From  Nchokotsa  we  struck  out  towards 
the  north,  spent  Sabbath,  12th  August,  at  Koobe,  and  on 
the  following  Saturday  reached  Maila.  After  leaving 
Nchokotsa  we  had  employed  guides,  the  spoor "  being 
indistinct  and  often  at  night  not  traceable.  When  I  asked 
men  to  go  forward  from  Maila  to  Kamakama,  neither 
Makalaka  nor  Bushmen  would  consent.  I  pleaded  with 
them,  but  they  shook  their  heads,  and  pointing  in  the 
direction  of  the  places  I  had  named,  said,  "  There,  there  is 
no  water.  Nothing  but  sun,  nothing  but  sun.  Your  oxen 
will  be  scattered  and  yourselves  subjected  to  thirst  in  the 
desert  as  were  the  Makoas  of  last  year."  This  was  the  first 
intimation  I  had  received  concerning  the  sufferings  endured 
by  my  brethren  who  had  preceded  me,  which  have  not  their 
equal  in  the  history  of  African  missions,  nor  indeed  in  the 
history  of  African  travel,  so  far  as  I  am  acquainted  with  it. 
Of  course  I  could  not  think  of  returning,  nor  yet  of  lying 
still,  the  rainy  season  being  still  distant.  I  resolved,  there- 
fore, to  try  to  reach  the  Makololo  country  by  some  other 
route.  On  questioning  the  Makalaka  and  the  Bushmen,  the 
former  offered  to  lead  me  into  a  road  to  the  eastward  formed 
by  hunters,  by  which  I  might  reach  the  Makololo  country. 
This  road  leading  to  the  S.-E.  from  Maila  instead  of  to  the 
N.  or  N.-W.,  as  I  desired,  rny  men  and  myself  had  consider- 


62 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


able  misgivings,  but  still,  as  the  teacher  Mebalwe  remarked, 
one  does  not  mind  traveUing  by  a  roundabout  road,  provided 
it  has  water  on  it.  I  therefore  engaged  two  Makalaka,  and 
made  ready  to  start.  On  Monday,  before  we  were  quite 
ready  to  leave  Maila,  Mokantsa,  the  son  of  Horoi,  and  a 
party  of  his  Bushmen  arrived  "to  greet  us  before  our 
departure."  A  Bushman  having  the  previous  evening  hinted 
that  they  knew  a  better  road  than  that  which  I  was  about  to 
take,  I  was  very  anxious  that  I  should  hear  the  merits  of  the 
two  routes  fairly  stated,  and  therefore  called  all  the  Makalaka 
and  Bushmen  together,  and,  addressing  myself  to  the  two 
chiefs  Mokantsa  and  Putse,  offered  them  a  reward  if  they 
would  show  me  a  nearer  and  better  road  than  the  one  to  the 
east.  There  followed  a  discussion  among  themselves,  when 
Mokantsa  offered  to  show  me  another  lying  a  little  to  the 
west  of  that  taken  by  my  brethren.  He  counted  on  his 
fingers  the  number  of  valleys  on  the  road  containing  water, 
and  the  number  of  wells  having  water  sufficient  for  people 
but  not  for  oxen,  and  mentioned  last  of  all  "  the  great  river 
of  the  Makololo."  We  all  thought  we  had  now  found  the 
right  road,  and  I  thanked  God,  to  whom  I  had  repaired  in 
this  dilemma,  for  having  thus  assisted  me.  For  some  time 
after  leaving  Maila  we  kept  the  track  of  my  brethren,  but  on 
the  second  day  directed  our  course  more  to  the  west.  The 
suspicion  began  to  grow  on  me  that  the  Bushmen  were 
deceiving  us,  and  this  was  confirmed  when,  after  traveUing 
three  days,  we  found  none  of  those  waters  to  which  they  had 
promised  to  guide  us.  At  last  we  reached  a  well,  which  we 
opened  up  after  a  whole  day's  work.  On  asking  where  the 
next  valley  was  the  Bushmen  said,  "  the  next  water  was  the 
great  river,  and  that  it  lay  due  west."  This  I  was  sure  could 
not  be  the  Mababe  ;  however,  the  question  then  was  not  how 
to  reach  the  Makololo,  but  how  to  save  the  oxen  by  obtain- 
ing water  for  them.  On  Monday,  27th  August,  we  reached 
a  river  which  we  found  to  be  the  Zouga,  and  not  the  Mababe. 
I  beheld  it  with  mingled  feelings  of  thankfulness  and  dis- 
appointment, thankfulness  that  the  oxen  were  saved,  and 
disappointment  that  I  was  as  far  from  the  Makololo  as  when 
I  was  at  Maila.  However,  I  had  now  a  river  system  before 
me,  by  the  aid  of  which  I  hoped  to  reach  the  Makololo 
without  risk  to  the  oxen  from  thirst.  The  tsetse  was  my  only 
obstacle,  and  I  hoped  to  be  able  to  secure  guides  who  would 
be  able  to  direct  me  how  to  avoid  the  districts  infested  by 


"WANDERJAHRE'*  63 


this  destructive  insect.  I  did  not  know  then  that  a  good 
Providence  had  brought  me  to  the  Zouga  for  special  reasons. 
At  Maila  an  old  Bushman  who  had  just  arrived  from  Mababe 
was  brought  to  me  by  the  chief  Putse  to  "  tell  me  the  news." 
The  latter  said,  "  Perhaps  what  he  has  to  tell  you  is  lies,  per- 
haps it  is  truth.  At  anyrate  I  thought  it  my  duty  to  bring  him 
to  you  before  you  go  forward  to  the  country  from  which  he 
has  just  come."  The  news  was  to  the  effect  that  Sekeletu 
had  killed  all  the  white  people  who  had  gone  to  them,  and 
had  taken  their  property.  Of  course,  I  laughed  at  the  old 
man,  being  convinced  Sekeletu  was  not  the  man  to  do  such 
a  thing.  When  we  reached  the  Zouga,  we  met  with  a  party 
of  Lechulatebe's  people  going  up  the  river  in  a  boat.  They 
told  me  the  same  tale — "  all  the  white  men  were  killed  but 
one  man  and  two  children,  who,  they  said,  were  now  at 
Lechulatebe's."  Knowing  that  the  Batowana  and  the  Makololo 
were  enemies,  I  never  heeded  them.  I  viewed  the  story  as 
one  got  up  for  the  purpose  of  inducing  me  to  turn  aside  to 
their  master,  instead  of  going  to  their  enemy,  Sekeletu.  My 
men  also  were  of  the  same  opinion  as  myself,  altho'  we 
were  all  horrified  to  think  that  death  should  be  so  lightly 
spoken  of  by  them  and  thus  introduced  without  compunction 
into  a  story  got  up  to  serve  their  own  ends.  The  four  men 
left  me  for  the  lake,  saying  that  they  had  never  seen  such  a 
"hard-headed  white  man,"  assuring  me  at  the  same  time  that 
they  would  acquaint  my  friend  of  my  arrival,  and  that  they 
had  no  doubt  I  should  soon  receive  a  letter  from  him.  I 
proceeded  up  the  river,  cherishing  good  hopes  that  I  would 
soon  reach  the  Makololo  country.  Although  we  heard  the 
same  dreadful  story  of  the  death  of  my  friends  at  every 
village,  neither  I  nor  my  men  believed  it.  Their  perseverance 
in  the  same  story,  after  I  had  assured  them  I  had  got  no 
ammunition  for  sale,  we  attributed  to  the  strictness  of  their 
orders  to  allow  no  white  man  to  pass  to  the  Makololo.  The 
history  of  Lechulatebe's  dealings  with  Livingstone  tended  to 
confirm  me  in  this  view  of  the  matter. 

On  Saturday,  the  8th  Sept.,  while  we  were  moving  along 
the  river's  bank,  I  beheld  a  party  of  men  coming  from  the 
river  and  directing  their  course  to  the  first  waggon,  which 
they  stopped.  On  going  forward  and  demanding  their  reason 
for  stopping  my  waggon,  the  chief  man  answered  that  he 
came  from  the  king  and  had  brought  boats  to  cross  my 
goods  over  the  river.   I  told  him  to  be  off  about  his  business, 


64 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


that  I  did  not  intend  to  go  to  Lechulatebe's  and  therefore 
did  not  need  his  boats.  "  But  I  have  brought  the  white  man 
with  me,  your  brother,  the  son  of  your  own  father."  I 
answered,  "  Where  is  he  then  ?  How  can  you  tell  lies  so  ? 
If  you  brought  the  white  man  to  meet  me,  why  do  you  come 
without  him  ?  "  "  Because  he  is  sick  and  tired  and  remained 
in  the  boat."  I  did  not  believe  the  fellow,  and  therefore 
answered,  "  I  will  go  on  just  as  I  intended ;  if  you  have  got 
the  white  man,  bring  him  to  the  place  where  we  shall  sleep, 
and  where  we  shall  rest  to-morrow  (Sunday)  and  then  I  shall 
believe  you."  The  waggons  accordingly  went  on.  About 
sunset  we  drew  near  to  the  outspanning  place.  It  was  a 
beautiful,  well-wooded  spot,  and  the  river  gave  a  life  and 
freshness  to  the  prospect  which  those  alone  can  appreciate 
who  have  toiled  through  the  riverless,  almost  waterless,  deserts 
of  South  Africa.  I  shall  not  attempt  to  describe  my  anxiety 
on  nearing  this  place.  Could  it,  after  all,  be  true  that  my 
dear  friends  had  thus  been  swept  away  ?  I  went  on  with  the 
first  waggon,  engrossed  in  anxious  thought,  when  the  driver 
said  to  me,  in  a  tone  which  made  me  start,  "  Ki  ena"  ("  It  is 
he  ").  I  sprang  from  the  waggon,  and  went  forward  to  meet 
some  one  who,  I  could  see  thro'  the  trees,  was  a  European. 
At  length  I  saw  it  was  my  dear  friend,  Mr  Price.  "  But  can 
it  be  that  all  this  which  I  hear  is  true  ?  "  I  hurriedly  asked, 
almost  before  I  had  grasped  his  hand.  Alas  !  I  saw  what  the 
answer  would  be  before  I  heard  it.  "  All  is  true."  And  then 
I  had  to  break  the  news  to  Mrs  Mackenzie  that  her  beloved 
fellow-labourers,  Mrs  Helmore  and  Mrs  Price,  were  no  more. 
O,  indeed,  it  was  a-  trying  hour  !  Hopes  which  had  cheered 
us  during  our  long  journey  were  now  dashed  to  the  ground, 
and  high  pictures  which  had  often  filled  our  minds  with 
pleasure  now  gave  place  to  one  gloomy  scene  of  desolation 
and  of  death.  We  sat  down  and  wept  for  those  who  were 
not.  Our  men  betokened  their  sympathy  by  their  countenances, 
and  the  simple  Makoba  stood  around  witnessing  the  scene. 
Mr  Price  was  very  unwell;  not  at  all  the  healthy  person  he 
used  to  be.  His  mind  was  also  affected,  for  he  would  tell  us 
the  same  thing  twice  in  a  very  short  time.  He  was  holding 
Wednesdays  as  Sundays  when  we  met  him. 

The  following  are  the  harrowing  details  of  the  mission 
at  Linyante.  Mr  and  Mrs  Helmore  and  Mr  and  Mrs  Price 
with  their  families  arrived  at  Linyante  on  the  14th  of  Feb- 
ruary.   On  the  2nd  of  March,  Malatsi,  Mr  Price's  driver, 


WANDERJAHRE"  65 


died ;  and  on  the  3rd  the  whole  party  were  taken  ill,  with 
the  exception  of  Mr  and  Mrs  Price  and  one  servant.  On 
the  7th  inst.  Henry  Helmore  died,  and  on  the  9th  Mr  Price's 
infant  daughter.  Selina  Helmore  was  next  called  away  on 
the  Tith  inst.,  and  on  the  same  day  Tabe,  the  highly- 
respected  deacon  from  Likatlong,  breathed  his  last.  Next 
day  Mrs  Helmore  died.  Before  her  death  she  said  she 
believed  her  work  on  earth  was  done,  and  that  she  had  no 
desire  to  live  longer.  On  the  Sabbath  following  their  arrival 
Mr  Helmore  preached  to  the  people  in  the  chief's  court,  and 
went  also  for  the  same  purpose  on  the  Sunday  following. 
He  was  taken  ill,  however,  while  in  the  town,  and  returned 
to  the  waggons,  unable  to  conduct  the  afternoon  service. 
At  the  time  Mrs  Helmore  died  he  was  very  ill,  unable  to 
rise  from  his  bed.  Some  time  after  this  he  got  better,  and 
was  able  to  go  about  a  little,  leaning  on  a  staff.  However, 
a  relapse  took  place,  and  on  the  22  nd  of  April  he  followed 
his  partner  and  two  children.  Another  servant,  an  old  man, 
also  died  in  March,  when  so  many  were  swept  away ;  the 
exact  date  I  am  not  able  to  give.  Mr  and  Mrs  Price  were 
also  very  ill  in  March,  and  also  afterwards ;  but,  as  God 
mercifully  ordered  it,  the  two  were  never  very  ill  at  the  same 
time.  One  or  the  other  was  thus  able  to  minister  to  the 
others,  and  they  were  the  only  persons  able  and  willing  to 
do  so.  Mr  Price  was  lying  in  a  wet  sheet,  hardly  able  to 
stand  through  exhaustion,  when  his  infant  breathed  its  last 
in  its  mother's  arms.  In  the  language  of  a  Mochuana  who 
has  returned  with  Mr  Price,  they  were  all  scattered  about, 
white  people  and  black,  those  in  their  tents  and  these  on  the 
ground  outside,  like  logs  of  wood,  unable  to  help  themselves, 
and  indeed,  many  of  them  in  a  deep  stupor  from  which  it  was 
difficult  to  rouse  them  to  consciousness.  Mr  and  Mrs  Price 
had  resolved  to  leave  before  Mr  Helmore's  death,  but  after 
that  event,  feeling  their  increased  responsibility,  they  were 
still  more  anxious  to  return.  They  left  Linyante  on  June 
26th.  The  Makololo  did  not  allow  them  to  cross  their  river 
until  they  had  taken  openly,  or  secretly  stolen,  almost  every 
thing  in  the  waggons.  Mr  Helmore's  new  waggon  Sekeletu 
claimed  as  his,  and  all  Mr  Helmore's  things ;  then  Mr  and 
Mrs  Price's  things  were  taken,  they  with  the  utmost  difficulty 
obtaining  clothing  barely  sufficient  for  the  journey  south. 
After  they  had  crossed  the  Mababe  they  began  to  breathe 
freely  again  and  to  feel  they  were  at  last  beyond  the  reach  of 

E 


66 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


those  who  had  so  cruelly  used  them.  On  the  5th  of  July, 
however,  Mrs  Price  died,  after  they  had  just  begun  to  enter- 
tain hopes  of  regaining  a  more  healthy  country  and  more 
friendly  people.  Her  body  was  laid  in  a  grave  in  the  wide 
African  wilderness  ;  her  soul,  we  humbly  yet  confidently 
hope,  is  in  the  Paradise  of  God. 

I  crossed  the  Zouga  and  went  on  with  Mr  Price  in  my 
waggon  to  Lechulatebe's  at  the  Lake,  leaving  behind  me  the 
head  waggon  till  our  return.  We  m,et  Lizzie  and  Willie 
Helmore  at  Lechulatebe's,  it  being  impossible  for  Mr  Price 
to  take  them  with  him  in  the  boat.  After  preaching  on 
Sunday,  22nd  Sept.,  at  Lechulatebe's,  on  returning  to  our 
waggons,  I  found  my  little  boy  ill  with  fever.  Thro'  God's 
blessing  on  the  means  used,  the  fever  was  checked.  But  we 
hastened  our  departure,  after  purchasing  9  oxen  for  Mr  Price. 

For  a  long  time  my  child  was  ill,  feverish  symptoms  con- 
stantly reappearing.  One  of  the  lads  also  took  the  fever 
after  our  return  to  the  waggons  which  we  left  behind  us,  but 
he  also  recovered.  These  were  the  only  cases  of  African 
fever  I  have  witnessed.  After  prayerfully  considering  our 
position,  we  resolved  to  return  with  Mr  Price  and  await  fresh 
orders  from  the  Directors,  and  accordingly  began  our  trek 
down  the  river. 

I  must  now  conclude  this  hurried  note.  Mr  Price  would 
have  written  to  you,  but  having  the  heavy  task  to  perform  of 
writing  to  his  deceased  wife's  relatives  as  well  as  Mr  Helmore's 
for  the  first  time  after  these  sad  events,  he  has  requested  me 
to  acquaint  you  with  the  circumstances  of  the  Mission. 

1.  The  chief  men  of  the  Makololo  on  several  occasions 
stated  their  entire  disinclination  to  remove  to  the  north  of 
the  Zambesi.  Sekeletu,  INIameri,  Motibi  and  others  were 
unanimous  in  this.  They  said  if  they  removed  anywhere  it 
would  be  to  dispossess  Lechulatebe  of  the  Lake  country. 

2.  The  Mambari  slave-dealers  seem  to  have  got  a  firm 
footing  among  them,  and  are  received  as  friends,  and  feasting 
continues  as  long  as  they  remain.  The  Mambari  have  evi- 
dently endeavoured  to  poison  the  Makololo  mind  against 
Livingstone,  as  they  told  our  brethren  they  believed  the 
Doctor  was  not  now  a  Missionary  but  a  ruler. 

3.  Mr  Price  and  all  the  Bechuana  servants  believe  that 
poison  was  administered  to  their  party  by  the  Makololo. 
This  they  ascertained  from  a  man  of  influence  who  is  always 
near  the  king. 


"  WANDERJAHRE  ' 


67 


4.  Almost  everything  taken  in  by  Mr  Helmore  and  Mr 
Price  has  been  stolen  by  the  Makololo — waggon,  guns,  tents, 
boxes  of  clothing,  etc.  The  last  action  performed  by  Mr 
Price's  Makololo  guides  was  to  take  him,  on  his  way  south, 
into  a  district  full  of  tsetse,  where  his  oxen  were  all  bitten, 
and  out  of  forty  he  has  now  only  two  !  The  guides  ran  away 
after  they  were  fairly  into  the  tsetse. 

5.  Much  of  the  mischief  done  by  stealing  may  be  traced 
to  the  counsels  of  a  servant  of  Tabe's  named  Mahoosi — a 
person  whose  very  meat  and  drink  seemed  to  be  to  create 
ill-feeling  among  the  Makololo  towards  the  Mission.  He 
urged  them  to  steal  and  even  to  kill  every  white  person  in  the 
party. 

6.  The  Makololo  country  can  hardly  be  said  to  be  acces- 
sible by  the  Kamakama  road.  It  will  always  be  a  feat  to 
reach  it  by  that  route.  There  is  always  plenty  of  water  by 
way  of  the  Lake,  but  the  tsetse  is  on  the  road,  and  can  only  be 
avoided  by  the  help  of  faithful  guides  belonging  to  the  district. 
There  is  a  road  to  the  east  of  the  Nchokotsa  and  Kamakama 
one,  now  used  by  hunters,  which,  I  think,  would  turn  out  on 
the  whole  the  best  one. 

7.  Mr  Price  goes  as  far  as  the  Cape  with  Mr  Helmore's 
children,  according  to  his  promise  before  Mr  Helmore's  death. 
I  returned  with  Mr  Price  feehng,  that  I  would  not  be 
warranted  to  go  on  with  waggon-loads  of  goods  after  what 
had  happened.  I  have  now  laid  the  matter  before  you,  and 
conclude  with  the  question,  "  What  am  I  to  do  ?  " 

We  are  all  pretty  well  in  health.  Mr  Price  and  Mrs 
Mackenzie  unite  with  me  in  Christian  regards. 

Before  Mackenzie's  letter  reached  England  rumours 
of  the  terrible  disaster  which  it  described  had  already 
arrived ;  consternation  spread  far  and  wide  in  missionary 
circles,  and  a  great  deal  of  public  criticism  was  now 
directed  upon  the  entire  plan  and  the  mode  of  carrying 
it  out.  The  original  idea  had  been  that  the  missionaries 
should  arrive  on  the  Zambesi  at  a  time  when  Dr  Living- 
stone expected  to  arrive  there  by  way  of  the  East  Coast 
and  the  Zambesi  River.  It  was  to  him  that  Sekeletu 
had  given  his  promise  to  transfer  the  entire  tribe  to  the 
higher  and  healthier  districts  on  the  north  bank  of  the 
Zambesi  River,  if  missionaries  were  brought  to  him. 


68 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


When  the  missionaries  reached  him  without  Living- 
stone, and  Livingstone  owing  to  unexpected  detentions 
did  not  arrive  until  after  the  rainy  season,  Sekeletu  did 
not  show  himself  as  cordial  as  had  been  expected  ;  he 
was  unwilling,  naturally,  to  leave  a  position  of  great 
military  advantage,  although  unhealthy,  in  order  to 
settle  in  a  place  where  he  would  be  open  to  the 
attacks  of  his  inveterate  enemies,  the  Matabele.  The 
inhospitable  treatment  which  he  gave  to  the  missionaries 
stands  out  with  unpleasant  distinction  in  the  history 
of  the  relations  of  missionaries  to  South  African 
chiefs.  Mackenzie  has  described  ^  the  destruction  of 
the  Makololo  tribe  which  blotted  this  name  from  the 
map  of  Africa. 

The  Foreign  Secretary  of  the  London  Missionary 
Society,  Dr  Arthur  Tidman,  wrote  on  April  5th, 
1 86 1,  to  Mackenzie  as  follows: — 

London,  April  sth^  1861. 
Under  all  circumstances,  there  is  plainly  no  alternative  but 
to  relinquish  the  Makololo  Mission  for  the  present,  and  we 
consider  you  were  fully  justified  in  deciding  to  return  to  the 
South. 

Until  there  has  been  an  opportunity  of  conferring  with  the 
Directors  on  the  whole  case,  I  should  scarcely  feel  prepared 
to  indicate  the  course  it  may  be  incumbent  upon  you  to 
pursue;  but  it  is  more  than  probable  that  you  and  Mr  Price 
will  be  recommended  to  direct  your  attention  to  the  Matabele 
Mission.  In  the  meantime  you  will  be  able,  while  at  the 
Kuruman,  to  take  counsel  with  Mr  Moffat  on  the  subject, 
and  I  hope  by  an  early  opportunity  to  convey  to  you  more 
definite  instructions. 

On  23rd  December,  there  was  born  at  Shoshong, 
Mackenzie's  second  child,  a  son,  whose  arrival  was 
hailed  with  great  delight  by  the  natives  of  the  town. 
As  this  was  the  first  white  child  born  in  that  town, 
by  general  consent  the  Bamangwato  gave  him  the 
name  Mangwato,  by  which  he  was  ever  afterwards 

1  "Ten  Years  North  of  the  Orange  River,"  pp.  243-248. 


"  WANDERJAHRE  "  69 


known  amongst  the  inhabitants  of  that  country.  It 
may  be  added  that  the  eldest  child  having  been  called 
William,  and  usually  Willie,  his  father  and  mother 
were  named  after  him,  according  to  the  Bechuanaland 
custom.  To  this  day  Mackenzie  and  his  wife  are 
known  in  Bechuanaland  as  Ra- Willie  and  Ma-Willie 
respectively ;  in  the  same  manner  Khame  himself, 
whose  eldest  child  was  called  Bessie,  is  known  amongst 
his  own  people  as  Ra-Bessie. 

After  a  brief  stay  at  Shoshong,  Mackenzie  and 
Price,  who  was  very  slowly  recovering  his  health, 
set  out  for  the  south.  Both  were  much  cheered  by 
the  announcement  that  their  friends  in  Cape  Town 
had  set  on  foot  a  public  subscription  for  the  relief  of 
the  surviving  members  of  the  Mission.  This  relief  was 
carried  to  them  by  Mr  Moffat,  who  met  them  on  their 
way  to  Kuruman. 

Mackenzie  once  more  arrived  at  Kuruman,  after  one 
of  the  most  prolonged  and  trying  experiences  of  waggon 
life  which  have  fallen  to  the  lot  of  any  but  the  pioneer 
Dutchmen  of  South  Africa. 

Kuruman,  Feb.  29,  1861. 

Rev.  Dr  Tidman, 

Rev.  and  Dear  Sir, — Again  I  address  you  from  this 
station.  My  journey  into  the  interior  is  a  thing  of  the  past. 
The  waggons  are  unloaded,  the  men  paid  off,  and  we  are 
again  enjoying  the  grateful  shelter  of  a  house.  We  have  also 
had  the  pleasure  of  again  meeting  those  Christian  friends 
who,  I  at  least  thought,  had  been  parted  with  for  ever. 

My  last  letter  recorded  the  leading  events  connected  with 
my  journey  up  to  the  date  of  our  arrival  at  the  Bamangwato. 
I  shall  now  resume  that  record.  Our  stay  at  the  Bamangwato 
extended  over  six  weeks.  On  the  23rd  December,  Mrs 
Mackenzie  was  safely  delivered  of  a  son  in  the  home  of 
Mr  Schulenborg.  Altho'  this  residence  had  neither  doors 
nor  windows,  it  had  a  good  roof ;  and  if  it  caused  rather  than 
prevented  a  draught,  it  was  delightfully  cool,  and  was,  be- 
sides, the  hospitable  home  of  kind  Christian  friends,  whose 
attentions  we  shall  always  gratefully  remember.    Our  oxen 


70 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


having  in  the  meantime  considerably  improved  in  condition, 
on  the  third  week  after  the  event  just  recorded,  we  pursued 
our  journey  towards  Kuruman,  reached  a  place  called  Silinye 
on  the  19th,  and  on  Monday,  the  21st  of  January,  we  met 
with  Mr  Moffat,  who  was  on  his  way  to  look  for  us,  and,  if 
necessary,  assist  us.  Finding  all  whom  he  was  seeking,  he 
turned  his  waggons  towards  home,  and  next  day  we  went  on 
together. 

In  passing  Sechele's  town,  that  chief  showed  us  great  kind- 
ness, and  agreed  that  his  waggon,  which  I  had  formerly  hired, 
should  go  on  to  Kuruman,  the  only  additional  charge  being 
that  I  should  repaint  the  waggon  and  make  for  it  a  new 
sail,  the  material  of  which  he  gave  me.  I  have  pleasure  in 
mentioning  anything  like  a  disinterested  action  among  a 
people  dreadfully  selfish. 

My  mind  naturally  turns  to  the  future.  Altho'  an  invisible 
shield  seems  to  have  been  round  both  me  and  mine,  and 
altho'  I  make  no  claim  to  having  endured  anything  very 
severe,  yet  nine  months  loose,  gipsy,  waggon-life  does  not 
leave  one  with  much  relish  for  that  way  of  spending  one's 
time.  I  wait  for  that  Hand  to  guide  me  to  some  sphere  of 
usefulness,  as  it  has  hitherto  led  me  and  sustained  me.  I 
do  not  forget  that  I  left  my  native  land  as  a  missionary  to 
Central  South  Africa.  Altho'  the  Mission  to  the  Mokololo 
has  proved  so  disastrous,  there  is  a  teeming  population  to 
the  eastward,  in  that  district  recently  discovered  by  Dr 
Livingstone,  and  you  are  aware  what  hopes  the  Doctor  has 
held  forth  to  the  Mission  presided  over  by  Archdeacon 
Mackenzie.  It  seems  to  me  that  there  is  a  greater  prospect 
of  success  in  a  Mission  to  some  of  these  tribes  approachable 
from  the  sea-coast  than  there  ever  was  in  connection  with  the 
Mission  to  the  Makololo.  Should  the  Directors  resolve  to 
continue  their  efforts  for  the  evangelisation  of  Central  Africa, 
I  am  quite  willing  to  devote  myself  to  the  work.  I  think  the 
Mission  to  the  north  of  the  Zambesi  has  hardly  received  a 
fair  trial,  there  being  high,  all  but  insurmountable,  obstacles 
in  connection  with  the  Makololo.  If  the  Directors  resolve 
to  give  it  such  a  trial,  and  consider  that  I  can  be  of  service 
to  them  in  the  attempt,  they  may  depend  upon  me  to  the 
utmost  of  my  ability.  It  might  take  some  time  to  establish  such 
a  Mission  on  a  permanent  basis ;  but  if  an  agent  or  two  were 
directed  to  visit  the  country  and  to  feel  their  way  quietly,  it  is  not 
improbable  that  success  might  ultimately  attend  their  efforts. 


WANDERJAHRE"  71 


In  the  meantime  I  shall  endeavour  to  do  the  work  of  a 
missionary  among  the  Bechuanas  while  waiting  for  further 
instructions. — Yours  sincerely,  John  Mackenzie. 

Early  in  1861  Mrs  Mackenzie  was  attacked  by  a 
prolonged  fever  of  a  low  and  internmittent  type.  As  a 
journey  was  itself  on  almost  all  occasions  the  best  cure 
which  Mackenzie  could  discover  for  this  African  fever, 
he  resolved  to  go  across  to  Fauresmith.  While  there 
he  was  once  more  confronted  with  the  temptation  to 
enter  upon  ministerial  service  in  other  directions.  He 
received  a  very  pressing  call  to  the  pastorate  of  the 
church  at  Hope  Town.  None  of  these  proposals, 
although  he  frankly  and  earnestly  considered  them, 
presented  any  real  attraction  to  him  ;  his  eye  was  still 
on  the  interior  of  the  continent,  and  his  mind  was  set 
upon  pioneer  work.  The  Directors  of  the  Society  were 
themselves  in  great  uncertainty,  and  found  themselves 
unable  for  a  considerable  time  to  give  him  a  definite 
appointment.  During  the  remainder  of  i  861,  he  was 
at  Kuruman,  diligently  engaged  in  educational  and 
literary  work  ;  he  completed  a  school  book  on  geo- 
graphy in  the  Sechuana  language,  and  also  wrote  and 
printed  a  translation  of  Dr  Newman  Hall's  famous 
booklet,  "  Come  to  Jesus."  It  was  not  until  May 
1 86 1  that  he  received  from  the  Directors  a  definite 
appointment  to  the  station  at  Shoshong,  and  this  was 
made  under  the  impression,  which  turned  out  to  be 
false,  that  the  German  missionary  had  left  the  place. 

Kuruman,  12  Afay,  1862. 

Rev.  Dr  Tidman, 

Dear  Brother, — I  have  to  acknowledge  receipt  of 
yours  of  Feb.  5,  recommending  me  to  commence  a  Mission 
among  the  Bamangwato,  in  the  event  of  Mr  Price  having 
gone  to  the  Matabele. 

Since  the  receipt  of  your  letter  one  thing  is  now  settled  in 
my  mind,  viz.,  that  the  Interior  of  Africa  is  to  be  the  scene  of 
my  future  labours.  I  am  thankful  after  a  season  of  perplexity 
to  see  my  way  thus  far. 


72 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


It  will  be  necessary,  however,  to  explain  that  this  appoint- 
ment has  been  given  by  the  Directors  while  labouring  under 
a  mistake.  I  see  by  the  March  Chronicle  that  Mr  Moffat 
advises  the  step  which  you  have  taken,  among  other  reasons, 
because  Mr  Schulenborg  was  not  returning  to  the  Bamangwato. 
Now  the  reports  to  which  Mr  Moffat  refers  turned  out,  as 
most  reports  of  the  kind  do  in  this  country,  to  be  without 
foundation.  Mr  Schulenborg  has  not  rejoined  his  Society, 
and  has  returned  to  the  Bamangwato,  with  the  intention  of 
living  and  labouring  there.  Knowing  the  facts  of  the  case 
before  the  arrival  of  your  letter,  I  was,  of  course,  amused  to 
see  that  while  you  could  not  agree  to  my  going  to  the  East 
Coast  for  fear  of  encroaching  upon  a  district  occupied  by 
English  Episcopalians  and  Scotch  Free  Churchmen,  it  should 
so  happen  that  you  were  actually  setting  me  down  at  the 
same  Bechuana  Town  with  a  Hanoverian  Lutheran  !  There 
can  only  be  one  opinion  as  to  the  importance  of  the 
Bamangwato  District,  both  on  account  of  its  great  popula- 
tion and  its  position.  Had  it  been  unoccupied  by  other 
missionaries  as  you  were  led  to  believe,  there  could  not  have 
been  a  wiser  appointment. 

As  matters  stand  I  feel  I  cannot  regard  myself  as  missionary 
to  the  Bamangwato,  and  I  am  sure  the  Directors,  when  they 
know  the  facts  of  the  case,  would  not  wish  me  to  do  so. 
Were  the  Bamangwato  the  last  heathen  town  in  Africa  the 
case  would  be  different;  two  or  more  Societies  might  en- 
compass the  last  abode  of  heathenism  in  order  to  hasten  the 
progress  of  the  Gospel :  but  the  case,  alas,  is  very  different. 
There  are  vast  regions  beyond  the  Bamangwato  which  are 
the  abodes  of  cruelty  and  degradation.  Into  these  countries 
it  was  the  object  of  the  Society  to  introduce  the  Gospel,  by 
the  formation  of  the  Makololo  Mission.  Adverse  events, 
linked  together  with  singular  fatality,  baffled  this  endeavour. 
But  I  am  glad  to  find  from  the  postscript  of  your  last  letter,  that 
the  Directors  still  cherish  the  desire  to  introduce  the  Gospel 
into  these  places,  and  thus  to  reward  the  evil  received  at  the 
hands  of  the  inhabitants  with  the  highest  good.  It  was  and 
is  my  opinion  that  efforts  to  this  end  could  be  best  carried 
on  from  the  East  Coast.  But  such,  I  learn  from  your  letter, 
is  not  the  opinion  of  the  Directors.  I  cheerfully  acquiesce 
in  their  decision.  Of  course  nothing  must  be  done  hastily, 
nothing  without  due  consideration. 

Let  me  state  to  the  Directors  what  I  propose  to  myself  to 


"  WANDERJAHRE"  73 


accomplish  in  dependence  on  God's  guidance  and  blessing. 
Regarding  my  appointment  to  the  Bamangwato  as  not  likely 
to  be  permanent,  I  look  on  some  of  the  regions  beyond  as  my 
parish,  accepting  at  the  same  time  as  my  motto, "  Festina  lente." 

I  propose  to  go  forward  to  the  Bamangwato  with  the 
intention  of  staying  there  for  a  time,  and,  should  a  favourable 
opportunity  occur,  eventually  to  proceed  farther.  I  hope  and 
believe  this  will  meet  with  the  views  of  the  Directors.  I 
have  written  somewhat  fully  that  they  may  perfectly  under- 
stand my  position.  The  first  thing  I  hope  to  accomplish 
and  which  will  be  of  service  to  the  Society  at  all  events,  is 
this.  With  the  assistance  of  Mr  Herbst  the  missionary 
artizan  at  Bamangwato,  I  intend  to  build  a  small  but  sub- 
stantial house  which,  in  the  event  of  my  departure  for  the 
Interior,  can  be  used  as  a  store-room  for  the  use  of  my 
brethren  as  well  as  for  my  own.  This  plan  was  talked  of 
before  we  went  into  the  Interior  and  the  advantages  of 
having  such  a  place  are  quite  apparent. 

When  the  traveller  is  going  to  the  Lake,  to  the  "Victoria 
Falls,  or  to  Moselekatse's  Country,  he  passes  the  Bamangwato. 
Thus  hunters  and  others  could  bring  supplies  so  far,  no 
matter  to  what  part  of  the  Interior  they  were  going ;  after- 
wards it  would  be  easy  for  the  brethren  in  the  Interior  to 
send  to  the  Bamangwato  for  such  supplies. 

While  at  the  Bamangwato,  I  shall  be  able  to  command  the 
news  of  the  Interior,  so  that  I  could  not  be  in  a  better 
position  to  perform  the  duties  of  a  "scout."  It  will  be  my 
endeavour  as  early  as  possible  to  open  communications  with 
the  Makololo  and  should  I  hear  favourable  reports  I  shall 
pay  them  a  visit.  I  would  count  it  a  great  pleasure  to  tell 
them  that  we  owe  them  no  grudge,  but  pity  them  and  desire 
their  welfare.  Should  the  door  to  the  Makololo  seem  still 
to  be  shut,  and  no  inducement  held  out  to  increase  the 
number  of  the  Matabele  labourers,  I  might  visit  Lechulatebe 
to  see  if  there  were  no  healthy  site  for  a  Mission  in  his 
district,  which  would  certainly  be  a  splendid  field  for  a 
missionary.  Lechulatebe  expressed  his  willingness  to  receive 
a  missionary  while  I  was  there  with  Mr  Price. 

At  the  same  time,  I  hope  to  do  good  among  the 
Bamangwato.  The  Directors  will  be  glad  to  learn,  that 
judging  from  our  past  intercourse,  there  are  grounds  for 
believing  that  Mr  Schulenborg  and  myself  are  likely  to  get 
on  well  together.    I  have  no  doubt  as  to  our  getting  on  as 


74 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


friends,  as  neighbours,  and  as  preachers  of  the  Gospel ;  as 
pastors  I  am  afraid  we  could  not  see  eye  to  eye. 

Such,  my  dear  Brother,  are  the  plans  which  occurred  to  my 
mind,  and  which  I  beg  thus  to  communicate  to  the  Directors. 
I  ask  their  confidence  and  their  prayers ;  let  me  work  as  it 
were  in  private ;  it  may  be  the  Lord  will  open  up  my  way  to 
the  Makololo.  At  all  events,  wherever  I  am  I  shall  endeavour 
to  carry  with  me  a  savour  of  Jesus  Christ. 

Let  me  in  conclusion  state,  for  the  information  of  the 
Directors,  what  has  occupied  my  attention  while  in  the 
Kuruman  District  and  while  awaiting  their  further  orders. 
We  returned  from  Philippolis  and  Fauresmith  in  August, 
after  Mrs  Mackenzie's  recovery  from  fever.  In  October 
we  visited  the  various  sub-stations  to  the  south-west  of 
Kuruman  situated  among  the  Long  Mountains  (Langberg). 
In  December  I  was  at  Hope  Town,  from  which  I  addressed 
my  last  letter  to  you.  In  January  I  visited  the  Taungs 
District,  partly  in  company  with  Mr  Ross ;  and  in  February 
I  visited  Morokweng,  a  large  town  of  Barolong,  situated  on 
the  edge  of  the  Kalahari  Desert,  and  occasionally  visited  by 
Mr  Fredoux  of  the  Motito.  During  the  interval  between 
these  journeys  I  taught  a  Geography  Class  and  an  English 
Class  at  Kuruman,  taking  also  my  turn  in  preaching.  I  drew 
up  a  First  Book  on  Geography  for  the  use  of  schools,  and 
also  set  up  the  types  of  most  of  it.  I  also  translated  "Come 
to  Jesus  "  into  Sechuana,  the  MS.  of  which  I  have  left  with 
Mr  Moffat,  who  has  kindly  agreed  along  with  Mr  Ashton  to 
see  it  through  the  press. 

When  Mackenzie  arrived  at  Shoshong  in  June,  he 
found  Mr  Schulenborg  still  at  work,  and  with  no 
intention  of  leaving.  Price,  who  had  been  refused 
entrance  to  Matabeleland,  was  also  there  trying  to 
co-operate  as  well  as  possible,  with  his  Lutheran 
brother.  In  these  circumstances  Mackenzie  could 
not  but  regard  his  appointment  at  Shoshong  as 
temporary  and  tentative,  and  his  mind  became 
employed  upon  fresh  plans  for  reopening  communi- 
cations with  the  Makololo.  But  in  the  meantime,  he 
entered  as  earnestly  as  possible  into  the  missionary 
work  of  the  place.     He  and  his  family  lived  in  a 


WANDERJAHRE"  75 


small  two-roomed  hut  which  had  been  built  by 
Mr  Schulenborg  at  the  very  entrance  of  the  kloof 
or  narrow  gorge  below  which  the  town  was  built. 
At  the  close  of  the  year  another  letter  arrived  from 
the  Directors,  showing  that  they  were  still  uncertain 
about  Mackenzie's  movements.  They  were  carrying 
on  negotiations  with  the  German  sister  Society, 
which  they  hoped  would  secure  to  them  the  exclu- 
sive right  to  work  in  Bechuanaland ;  hence,  while 
they  did  not  disapprove  of  Mackenzie's  attempts  to 
reach  the  Zambesi,  they  expressed  their  own  desire 
to  establish  other  missions  more  broadly  and  thoroughly 
in  Bechuanaland,  and  their  attention  was  especially 
directed  to  the  country  of  the  Bamangwato.  They 
intended  as  soon  as  possible  to  send  out  more  mission- 
aries for  this  purpose.  The  following  letter  to  his  friend 
James  Ross  states  a  number  of  these  points  clearly  : — 

Bamangwato,  South  Africa, 
17//?  Dec.  1862. 

My  Dear  Jamie, — When  you  wrote  to  me  last  you 
promised  to  send  me  another  letter  soon.  I  have  waited 
long,  but  the  promised  epistle  comes  not.  It  seems  strange 
not  to  know  your  address,  not  to  know  what  you  are  doing, 
except  generally  that  you  are  preaching  the  Gospel  some- 
where in  Scotland.  However  I  have  myself  neglected  many 
promises  as  to  corresponding,  so  that  I  am  not  in  a  position 
to  find  fault. 

I  found  out  from  an  Elgin  paper  that  you  were  in  Inver- 
ness. I  thought  you  might  stay  there ;  but  I  learn  from  John 
Douglas  that  you  are,  or  were  lately,  at  Linlithgow.  I  am 
glad  you  have  some  knocking  about  at  the  outset ;  I  should 
think  it  will  enable  you  to  pursue  a  course  of  general  study 
with  less  effort  than  if  you  were  fairly  wedged  into  one  pulpit, 
and  bound  to  preach  service  after  service  to  a  congregation 
which  you  had  "taken  for  better  or  for  worse."  It  would  be 
a  good  thing  if  you  could  extend  your  rambles  beyond  Scot- 
land. Live  for  a  short  time  in  England,  and  if  possible,  on 
the  continent.  I'm  not  joking  :  take  in  stock,  "  everything 
in  the  line,"  and  your  services  are  likely  to  have  a  freshness 
and  point  which  reading  alone  is  not  likely  to  give  them. 


76 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


You  see  I  advise  with  the  same  Hberty  as  when  we  went  arm- 
in-arm  along  Lossie  Bank. 

As  for  myself,  I  am  still  "  going  to  and  fro "  and  (not 
walking)  but  tumbling  "  up  and  down "  the  southern  part 
of  this  continent.  Next  time  I  write,  however,  will  I  hope, 
be  from  the  north  bank  of  the  Zambesi.  We  leave  this 
place  in  April  next,  and  hope  to  cross  the  river,  proceed 
to  the  site  of  our  future  station,  which  we  must  previously 
select,  and  erect  some  sort  of  house  before  next  hot  season 
comes  on.  We  have  tsetse^  the  Zambesi,  and  an  unexplored 
country  to  the  north,  to  pass  through  before  we  reach  our 
destination  ;  but  I  don't  think  we  shall  "  stick."  The  physical 
difficulties,  although  not  to  be  despised,  are  nothing  to  the 
moral  obstacles  which  await  us  as  missionaries  to  the 
Makololo.  This  tribe  has  obtained  its  position  by  a  sort 
of  Ishmaelite  warfare :  of  late  it  has  retreated  to  a  natural 
stronghold  formed  by  a  river  system  on  the  one  hand,  by 
tsetse  on  the  other.  From  this  unhealthy  den  of  Linyanti 
they  have  carried  on  their  forays  with  impunity,  have  taken 
prisoners  and  sold  them  to  the  Mambari  traders  from  the 
coast.  Of  course  you  know  the  sad  history  of  the  late 
attempts  to  open  a  mission  among  these  marauders.  In  the 
interval  Sekeletu  and  his  people  have  been  frequently  visited 
by  natives  from  the  South ;  and  I  think  by  one  English 
trader.  From  these  parties  they  have  learned  enough  to 
cause  them  to  regret  having  taken  the  missionaries'  property 
from  them.  As  to  the  charge  of  poisoning  those  who  died 
at  Lin)^anti,  they  firmly  deny  it,  and  I  give  them  credit  for 
speaking  the  truth,  for  I  never  believed  that  my  fellow- 
labourers  were  poisoned.  When  the  hunters  and  traders 
went  in  this  season,  Mr  Price  and  Mr  Moffat  and  myself 
sent  in  a  joint  letter  to  Sekeletu,  asking  him  if  he  would 
allow  us  to  go  direct  to  a  place  called  Tabachow  (or  White 
Mountain)  on  the  north  of  the  Zambesi,  and  if  he  and  his 
people  would  join  us  there.  W^e  have  just  received  the 
answer,  which  is  more  favourable  than  we  expected.  He 
consents  to  everything,  and  urges  us  to  hasten  our  coming. 
He  is  ill,  and  expects  to  be  benefited  by  the  white  man's 
medicines.  The  people  also  are  tired  of  the  unhealthy  place 
where  they  now  are,  and  express  their  willingness  to  follow 
their  chief  and  live  with  missionaries.  It  is  said  by  all  that 
the  country  to  which  we  are  going  is  not  unhealthy,  but  of 
course  this  means,  when  compared  with  adjacent  districts. 


"  WANDERJAHRE"  77 

We  go  to  try  it,  looking  to  God  for  His  blessing  and  presence. 
May  we  trust  in  Him  with  our  whole  heart,  while  we  take 
every  precaution  necessary  in  the  circumstances.  Pray  for 
us  that  the  Gospel  may  have  free  course  and  be  glorified  in 
Central  Africa. 

We  have  been  staying  here  for  some  months,  having  our 
eye  on  the  North,  and  waiting  the  proper  time  to  come  round. 
This  is  a  large  town,  too  large  for  one  missionary.  It  is  at 
present  supplied  with  a  missionary  who  came  to  this  country 
in  connection  with  Pastor  Harms's  Society.  I  had  an  appoint- 
ment to  this  place,  which  of  course  became  null  through  his 
presence  here. 

I  suppose  you  know  that  my  third  child  was  born  on  the 
23rd  September  last.  Since  I  began  this  letter,  I  had  occa- 
sion to  go  for  a  short  distance  on  horseback,  so  I  took  Willie 
before  me  on  the  saddle.  I  sometimes  ride  with  Johnnie  also 
behind  me.  Mrs  Mackenzie  is  quite  well,  and  sends  her  love 
to  you.  Not  knowing  your  address,  I  have  sent  this  to  John 
Douglas.  I  thought  there  was  no  harm  in  doing  this,  especially 
as  I  have  not  entered  on  any  private  topic.  .  .  .  My  paper 
fails  me  ! 

Affection  and  remembrances  to  the  auld  folks  at  Elgin,  and 
to  our  mutual  friends  in  Edinburgh.  Send  me  something 
frequently  ;  an  old  newspaper  will  be  new  to  me,  and  will  only 
cost  you  a  penny,  and  the  time  spent  in  addressing  it.  Write 
at  o?ice. — Ever  yours  affectionately,        John  Mackenzie. 

The  year  1862  proved  another  year  of  travel  and 
uncertainty  to  Mackenzie.  On  January  24th  he  wrote 
a  letter  to  Dr  Tidman  describing  the  negotiations 
which  were  proceeding  with  regard  to  the  occupancy 
of  Shoshong  as  a  Mission  Station  by  the  Hermanns- 
burg  Society.  Mr  Schulenborg,  their  representative, 
had  gone  on  a  journey  to  Natal,  the  South  African 
headquarters  of  that  society,  and  Mackenzie  was 
occupying  his  little  hut  of  two  rooms  in  his  absence. 
And  Mackenzie  had  written  a  long  letter  to  Dr 
Hardeland,  the  Superintendent  of  the  Hermannsburg 
Mission,  explaining  the  policy  of  the  London  Mis- 
sionary Society  there,  and  urging  that  the  German 


78 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


Society  should  not  send  representatives  to  settle  in 
the  heart  of  a  sphere  already  partly  occupied  by,  and 
already  fully  mapped  out  for  the  agents  of  the  London 
Missionary  Society.  In  his  letter  to  Dr  Tidman 
Mackenzie  added  the  following  paragraph  : — 

I  feel  tempted  to  criticise  the  policy  which  overlooked  as 
a  site  for  a  Mission  Station  such  a  central  and  in  every  way 
important  place  as  the  Bamangw^ato.  What  it  is  to-day  it  has 
been  for  more  than  twenty  years.  But  there  would  seem  to 
be  some  impediment  in  the  w^ay  of  the  vigorous  prosecution 
of  Mission  effort  among  the  Bechuanas.  Where  are  the  two 
Missionaries  who  were  to  be  sent  out  two  years  ago  to  rein- 
force the  Southern  District  of  Bechuanaland  ?  It  would  be 
useless  to  recapitulate  the  reasons  for  this  re-inforcement 
which  approved  themselves  to  the  minds  of  the  Directors  at 
the  time.  I  may  just  mention,  however,  that  a  late  personal 
inspection  of  the  country  indicated  deepens  my  own  impres- 
sions of  the  desirability  of  such  re-inforcements,  and  further, 
that  if  the  matter  were  left  to  the  decision  of  your  agents  on 
the  spot,  there  would  be  no  voices  raised  against  a  more 
vigorous  policy  on  the  part  of  the  Society. 

In  the  month  of  March  a  dark  cloud  swept  over 
Shoshong.  The  town  was  situated  at  the  foot  of  a 
mountain  kloof  which  had  been  selected  as  affording 
a  military  stronghold  against  the  Matabele.  Mosele- 
katse,  the  fierce  founder  of  that  ruthless  tribe,  had 
often  threatened  to  attack  Sekhome,  the  chief  of  the 
Bamangwato,  but  hitherto  his  threats  had  been  unful- 
filled, and  Sekhome's  tribe  had  been  growing  stronger 
and  stronger.  At  last  the  news  reached  Shoshong 
that  their  dreaded  foe  was  moving  for  a  determined 
attack  upon  them.  This  raid  of  the  Matabele  has 
been  vividly  described  by  Mackenzie.^  That  account 
amplifies  a  letter  which  he  wrote  at  the  close  of  the 
struggle  to  Dr  Tidman,  and  which  was  printed 
in  the  Chronicle  of  the  London  Missionary  Society  at 
the  time.  The  following  is  the  main  part  of  the  letter 
giving  the  account  of  the  raid  itself : — 

In  more  than  one  of  my  letters  from  this  place,  I  have 
^  "  Ten  Years  North,"  etc,  chapter  xiv. 


WANDERJAHRE "  79 


been  able  to  speak  favourably  of  the  prospects  of  the 
Makololo  Mission.  In  fact,  there  was  good  reason  to  believe 
that  before  the  end  of  1863,  your  agents  would  be  at  work  in  a 
healthy  locaHty  on  the  north  bank  of  the  Zambesi,  instructing 
the  newly-removed  Makololo.  I  am  sorry  to  say  that  an  event 
has  taken  place  bearing  most  unfavourably  on  this  project. 

When  the  hunters  and  traders  passed  this  place  from 
Moselekatse's  country  in  September  and  October  last,  it  was 
rumoured  that  the  Matabele  meditated  an  attack  on  the 
Bamangwato.  Altho'  Sekhome  had  no  reason  for  presum- 
ing on  the  friendship  or  consideration  of  the  Ishmaelite 
Zulu  chief,  Moselekatse  had  so  often  pledged  himself  to  Mr 
Moffat  to  give  up  his  warlike  policy  that  a  certain  impression 
was  made  even  on  the  suspicious  native  mind. 

It  seemed  to  be  the  opinion  of  both  Europeans  and  natives, 
that  although  the  Matabele  chief  might  continue  to  break  his 
promise  annually  by  sending  his  warriors  to  attack  the  Mashona 
and  Makololo,  who  live  on  the  north  and  north-west  of  his 
country,  he  would  study  to  put  the  best  face  on  such  doings 
by  keeping  the  peace  with  the  tribes  south  of  his  territory. 

On  the  7th  of  March,  however,  Sekhome  and  his  tribe 
received  definite  intelligence  that  a  Matabele  army  was 
approaching,  and  that  already  several  large  cattle  posts  had 
fallen  into  the  enemy's  hands.  Happening  to  pass  thro' 
the  khotla  or  court  that  morning  on  my  way  from  school,  I 
heard  the  first  messenger,  all  breathless  and  excited,  tell  his 
tale,  giving  information  concerning  the  Matabele.  The  war- 
cry  at  once  resounded  in  the  "kloof"  where  the  Bamangwato 
live,  and  soon  from  all  quarters  men  streamed  into  the 
khotla,  some  armed  with  guns  and  others  with  the  assegai  or 
spear,  and  ox-hide  shield.  The  first  thing  to  be  done  was 
to  collect  the  cattle  from  the  various  posts,  with  the  sheep 
and  goats.  Men  having  been  despatched  for  this  purpose, 
and  sentinels  placed  at  the  various  entrances  to  the  Bamang- 
wato Mountains,  Sekhome  marched  out  of  the  town  at  the 
head  of  his  men,  and  held  what  I  suppose  must  be  called  a 
review ;  although  it  was  certainly  a  different  spectacle  from 
what  is  indicated  by  that  expression  in  civilised  countries. 
There  was  no  marching,  no  defiling,  no  sham  fighting ;  but 
the  chief  squatted  on  the  ground,  dealt  out  ammunition,  etc., 
to  those  who  stood  in  need  of  it,  inspected  the  faulty  lock 
of  one  gun  and  the  frail  stock  of  another,  all  the  while 
enquiring  after  the  absent,  conversing  with  those  present 


8o 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


around  him,  and  listening  to  the  accounts  of  every  newly- 
arrived  herdsman,  who,  leaving  his  charge  in  the  hands  of 
the  Matabele,  had  fled  for  his  life.  In  passing  my  house, 
after  having  this  "review,"  Sekhome  jocularly  asked  me  if  I 
were  going  to  help  him  against  the  Matabele  ?  Replying  in 
the  negative,  I  reminded  him  that  I  was  a  promulgator  of 
peace  and  goodwill  amongst  men ;  that  I  had  no  quarrel 
with  the  Matabele ;  and  that  I  was  persuaded  they  also 
would  regard  me  as  a  neutral  party.  His  reply  was  to  the 
effect  that  Matabele  warriors  did  not  make  nice  distinctions  : 
and  that  the  colour  of  a  man's  skin  was  not  easily  discovered 
in  the  darkness  of  night.  He  then  informed  me  that  they 
expected  to  be  attacked  during  the  night  or  very  early  in 
the  morning.  "  In  the  olden  time,"  added  the  chief, 
"  whilst  our  herdsmen  were  still  informing  us  of  the  loss  of 
our  cattle,  the  thieves  themselves  were  wont  to  fall  upon  us 
before  we  could  make  any  preparation  for  self-defence ;  but 
to-night  they  will  find  us  ready ;  and  should  they  enter  the 
town  they  will  find  it  empty." 

Sekhome  having  given  orders  that  all  the  women  and 
children  should  take  refuge  in  the  mountains,  and  that  all 
property  should  be  removed  thither  also,  a  strange  and 
melancholy  spectacle  presented  itself  to  the  eye;  the  several 
narrow  paths  leading  to  the  top  of  the  steep  and  rugged 
mountains  were  for  some  time  densely  crowded  with  women, 
each  one  carrying  a  large  bundle  on  her  back,  and  the  rest 
struggling  up  the  ascent  before  her.  For  some  time  the 
women  and  old  servants  and  old  men  followed  each  other  as 
closely  as  do  people  in  Cheapside.  That  night  Mrs 
Mackenzie  was  the  only  female  in  the  town  of  the  Bamang- 
wato  ;  and  our  children  the  only  little  ones  who  had  not  been 
removed  to  the  mountain  fastnesses.  People  passed  to  and 
fro,  under  arms  the  whole  night ;  every  one  was  on  the  alert ; 
and  Mrs  Mackenzie  and  myself  slept  as  little  as  the  Bamang- 
wato.  About  ten  o'clock  the  young  chiefs  paid  us  a  visit 
with  several  of  those  who  attend  church  and  school, 
surrounded  by  whom  I  offered  up  prayer  before  our  door, 
in  the  bright  moonlight.  During  the  night  we  collected  our 
letters,  accounts,  portraits,  etc.,  in  a  little  box  ;  so  as  to  be 
easily  removed.  Although  we  could  not  sleep  like  our 
children,  we  could  commend  them  and  ourselves  to  the 
protection  of  God,  our  Heavenly  Father,  and  enjoy  the 
repose  of  mind  consequent  on  trust  in  the  Almighty. 


WANDERJAHRE"  8i 


At  length  the  morning  dawned  without  any  attack  having 
taken  place.  The  cattle,  sheep  and  goats,  from  the  outposts 
came  pouring  in,  and  were  hastily  driven  up  the  mountains. 
The  kloof  for  a  time  resounded  with  the  lowing  of  cattle,  the 
bleating  of  sheep  and  goats,  and  the  shouts  of  their  drivers. 

In  stating  his  plan  of  defence  the  Chief  informed  me  that 
should  the  enemy  make  the  attack  from  the  plain,  they  were 
to  be  allowed  to  enter  the  town,  and  to  set  it  on  fire,  if  they 
chose  ;  that  a  number  of  cattle  were  to  be  kept  in  sight  as  a 
bait  for  the  Matabele  on  the  side  of  the  mountain  behind 
Mr  Price's  house,  and  right  opposite  my  own  ;  and  that  the 
fight  would  therefore  take  place,  as  it  were,  on  our  premises. 
Sekhome  said  he  was  sure  to  beat  them  on  this  ground  ;  but 
if  they  approached  from  the  plain  he  would  not  risk  an 
engagement  elsewhere.  He  added  that  he  was  sorry  our 
houses  were  in  the  way,  but  he  could  not  help  it.  In  the 
event  of  the  Matabele  endeavouring  to  reach  the  town  from 
the  north  which  was  nearest  the  scene  of  their  depredations 
the  Bamangwato  were  to  meet  them  on  a  "  haugh "  in  the 
heart  of  the  mountains,  and  if  beaten  were  to  fall  back  on 
the  vantage-ground  before  referred  to. 

After  seriously  considering  our  position  in  connection  with 
this  statement,  and  taking  into  account  the  merciless  and 
bloody  character  of  the  Matabele,  I  came  to  the  conclusion 
that  it  would  be  best  for  Mrs  Mackenzie  and  the  children  to 
retire  to  the  mountains,  until  the  danger  became  less 
imminent.  When  I  Hstened  to  one  messenger  after  another 
narrating  the  cowardly,  spiteful,  and  bloody  deeds,  enacted 
at  the  cattle  posts  my  resolution  was  confirmed.  While  Mrs 
Mackenzie  and  the  children  were  in  the  house  I  could  not 
but  feel  uneasy  as  to  the  result  of  a  midnight  rush  of  such 
savages,  everyone  of  whose  spears  had  repeatedly  drunk  the 
blood  of  the  aged  and  decrepit,  the  defenceless  female  and 
the  tender  infant. 

Khame,  the  eldest  son  of  Sekhome,  kindly  furnished  me 
with  a  few  men  who  carried  up  the  hill  the  few  articles  which 
we  had  resolved  to  remove  from  the  house.  Accompanied 
by  these  people  and  by  our  servants,  Mrs  Mackenzie  and  the 
children  took  their  departure.  I  followed  with  our  cattle, 
and  passed  my  little  family  squatted  on  the  grass  beneath  a 
tree,  their  nearest  neighbours  on  one  side  being  the  chief 
wife  of  Sekhome,  and  on  the  other  Joseph  and  Koenraad  de 
Buys,  from  the  Transvaal  Country.    This  was  Friday  morn- 

F 


82 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


ing  ;  it  was  Wednesday  evening  of  the  following  week  before 
Mrs  Mackenzie  left  her  "  refuge"  on  the  mountain  top  ;  and 
the  native  women  remained  for  two  or  three  days  longer. 

It  was  not  that  life  on  the  mountain  was  at  all  pleasant, 
for  it  was  well  known  to  be  a  haunt  of  wolves  and  tigers  ;  in 
fact,  but  a  few  days  before,  a  sheep  had  been  killed  by  a  tiger 
in  broad  day  light,  not  many  hundred  yards  from  where  Mrs 
Mackenzie  and  the  little  ones  slept  in  the  open  air.    But  we 
heard  nothing  of  such  unwelcome  visitors,  and  cannot  but 
think  that  the  overwhelming  rush  of  people  into  their  haunts 
must  have  driven  both  wolves  and  tigers  to  seek  a  lair  else- 
where.  South  Africa  is  a  very  thirsty  land  ;  all  its  inhabitants 
are  ever  ready  to  welcome  rain  ;  and  many  pretend  to  be 
able  to  conjure  it  from  the  reluctant  clouds  ;  yet  the  showers 
which  on  more  than  one  night  aroused  the  sleepers  on  the 
top  of  the  Bamangwato  Hills  were  anything  but  welcome. 
The  people  disappeared  in  the  crevices  among  the  rocks  : 
Mrs  Mackenzie  drew  her  little  ones  closer  to  her,  and  a 
karross,  spread  over  their  heads  on  the  branches  of  the  tree, 
formed  a  pretty  good  protection  from  the  rain  which  was  then 
falling  in  torrents.    It  was  my  intention  to  remain  in  the 
house  during  the  night,  that,  in  case  of  an  attack,  I  might  be 
able  to  inform  the  Matabele  invaders  that  the  premises 
belonged  to  a  missionary  ;  but  such  was  Mrs  Mackenzie's 
description  of  her  first  night  on  the  mountams,  alone  with 
the  little  ones,  that  I  considered  it  indispensable  afterwards  to 
form  one  of  the  party.    Our  house  was  thus  left  without  an 
occupant  during  the  night :  but  a  Makololo  woman,  whom  I 
had  saved  from  starvation  a  few  months  before,  slept  on  the 
premises.    Being  still  weak  and  sadly  afflicted  with  St  Vitus's 
Dance,  she  preferred  remaining  among  our  pots  to  climbing 
the  mountains,  and  we  allowed  her  to  do  what  she  pleased. 
I  have  to  record,  to  the  credit  of  the  Bamangwato,  that 
although  Mr  Price's  premises  were  entirely  deserted,  and  my 
own  every  night  left  in  charge  of  a  single  woman,  no  attempt 
at  theft  was  made.    Of  course  so  long  as  Mrs  Mackenzie  and 
the  children  remained  on  the  mountain,  my  attention  was 
divided  between  them  and  our  premises.    The  awkw^ardness 
of  my  position  will  be  seen  when  I  state  that  it  would  be 
much  more  easy  to  climb  to  the  top  of  Arthur's  Seat, 
Edinburgh,  than  it  was  to  reach  our  encampment  on  the  top 
of  the  Bamangwato  Hills.    You  will  have  a  pretty  good 
idea  as  to  how  I  occupied  myself  between  Friday  and 


WANDERJAHRE"  83 


Wednesday  (and  you  will  excuse  the  illustration),  when  I 
inform  you  that  during  the  above  period  I  wore  down  a  pair 
of  English  made  boots,  and  lamed  myself  into  the  bargain  ! 

Fight  between  the  Bamangwato  and  the  Matabele 

While  we  were  scaling  the  mountain,  the  Bamangwato 
forces  had  assembled  in  the  haugh  referred  to.  It  seems 
there  was  a  good  deal  of  talking ;  and  Sekhome  (who 
besides  being  chief  is  also  a  "  ngaka,"  or  doctor  or  sorcerer) 
was  earnestly  engaged  in  reading  his  dice,  and  repeating  his 
incantations,  when  he  was  interrupted  by  Khame,  who  very 
abruptly  informed  his  father  that  he  was  taking  up  too  much 
time  with  these  things  ;  that  as  for  himself  (Khame)  he 
wanted  to  fight  and  have  done  with  it.  The  chief,  who  felt 
proud  of  his  son,  "  pocketed  "  the  insult  which  in  his  priestly 
character  he  had  sustained,  and  immediately  ordered  out  the 
two  youngest  "mepato"  or  regiments,  viz.,  that  of  Khame 
and  that  of  his  brother  Khamane.  The  people  were  so 
pleased  with  the  conduct  of  the  young  chief,  that  several  old 
men  who  of  course  did  not  belong  to  his  regiment,  tried  to 
join  it  as  it  moved  off,  but  were  seen  by  Sekhome  and 
ordered  back. 

The  two  chiefs  next  in  rank  to  Sekhome  also  joined 
Khame's  party,  followed  by  a  number  of  their  men.  The 
whole  force  under  Khame  did  not  exceed  two  hundred.  Of 
these  the  majority  had  guns,  and  about  eight  were  mounted 
on  horseback.  Before  he  rode  off  Khame  was  addressed 
by  his  father  to  the  effect  that  he  must  not  imagine  he  was 
going  on  an  elephant  hunt ;  that  he  was  marching  against 
men,  and  not  merely  men,  but  Matabele. 

It  was  late  in  the  afternoon  before  they  met  the  Matabele, 
who,  contrary  to  their  old  custom,  had  been  advancing  slowly, 
apparently  in  no  hurry  to  attack  the  town.  They  were  march- 
ing in  three  companies,  two  of  whom  were  together,  and  these 
the  Bamangwato  attacked.  At  first  the  "  Machaga  "  made 
light  of  the  guns,  and  imitated  their  report ;  but  they  soon 
changed  their  tune.  Moving  in  compact  bodies,  every  ball 
told  on  some  of  them,  so  that  when  charged  by  those  on 
horseback  they  gave  way,  some  of  them  throwing  down  their 
arms  and  fleeing.  These,  however,  were  rallied  by  the 
others  shouting  to  them  that  they  were  disobeying  Mosele- 
katse's  orders,  which  forbade  any  of  the  warriors  to  run  from 


84 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


the  enemy.  While  the  day  was  thus  with  the  Bamangwato, 
the  third  company  of  Matabele,  which  had  been  following 
up  a  cattle  track  at  some  distance,  hearing  the  report  of 
firearms,  hastened  to  the  scene  of  action,  and  seeing  how 
matters  were  going,  crept  along  under  the  cover  of  the  rank 
grass  until  they  got  close  behind  the  Bamangwato.  They 
advanced  until  they  were  discovered,  when  they  sprang  to 
their  feet,  and,  raising  their  wild  war-cry,  rushed  as  one  man 
on  the  forces  of  Khame.  The  retreating  Matabele,  finding 
that  their  comrades  had  come  to  their  assistance,  turned  on 
their  pursuers ;  so  that  now  the  Bamangwato  found  them- 
selves surrounded  by  the  enemy.  Khame  shouted  to  his 
men  to  stand ;  but  his  authority  was  soon  at  an  end.  Many 
of  the  Bamangwato  had  shown  symptoms  of  fear  from  the 
beginning,  and  fought  only  after  they  saw  that  Khame  and 
his  young  men  were  gaining  the  day.  Now,  when  they 
beheld  machaga  on  every  side,  the  old  fear  of  the  Matabele 
seemed  to  return  to  them,  and  they  fled  in  all  directions,  the 
horsemen  doing  their  best  to  cover  their  retreat.  The  Mata- 
bele did  not  pursue  them  far ;  and  the  Bamangwato  returned 
during  the  night,  leaving  about  twenty  dead  on  the  field. 
The  loss  on  the  other  side  was  much  greater,  according  to 
reliable  reports  which  have  since  been  received  from  the 
Makalaka  country  ;  but  of  course  we  cannot  ascertain  the 
exact  number.  There  were  five  of  Moselekatse's  sons  in  the 
fight,  three  of  whom  were  killed  and  one  supposed  to  be 
wounded.  This  information  comes  from  Makalaka  belong- 
ing to  Sekhome,  who  at  the  time  of  the  attack  were  on  a 
visit  to  their  friends  living  in  a  Makalaka  town  under 
Moselekatse,  to  which  the  machaga  turned  aside  while  they 
sent  forward  a  messenger  to  the  king  to  announce  their 
return.  As  the  men  referred  to  were  themselves  Makalaka, 
they  easily  passed  with  the  Matabele  as  natives  of  the  town, 
and  thus  got  to  know  the  truth  concerning  the  results  of  the 
engagement. 

Out  of  many  incidents  which  occurred  in  the  fight,  I  shall 
narrate  one  or  two.  Pelutona,  one  of  the  chief  men  who 
went  with  Khame,  being  very  fat  and  on  foot,  soon  fell  behind 
in  the  retreat,  and  would  have  been  killed  but  for  the  gallant 
conduct  of  one  of  his  men.  This  devoted  heathen  servant 
put  himself  between  his  master  and  his  pursuers,  saying  to 
the  former,  "  Take  a  good  breathing  now ;  they  have  to  kill 
me  first;  and  before  they  do  so  you  will  be  well  rested." 


'  WANDERJAHRE  " 


85 


Instead  of  firing  at  once  at  the  Matabele,  this  man  kept  them 
at  a  distance  by  now  and  then  presenting  his  gun  at  them, 
until  at  length,  thinking  they  were  far  enough  from  the  main 
body,  their  pursuers  left  them.  I  shall  give  another  instance 
of  an  entirely  different  description.  In  the  course  of  the 
retreat  of  the  Bamangwato  one  of  them  found  himself  at 
some  distance  from  the  others,  and  closely  pursued  by  a 
Letebele.  His  gun  was  loaded  and  cocked  too,  but  he  had 
not  courage  enough  to  enable  him  to  stand  and  fire ;  so  he 
ran  as  fast  as  he  could,  carrying  his  gun  on  his  shoulder. 
To  the  surprise  of  both  pursuer  and  pursued,  bang  went  the 
gun,  its  bearer  still  running  at  the  top  of  his  speed.  Whether 
the  ball  had  passed  somewhat  near  to  the  Letebele  is  not 
known  ;  but  at  any  rate,  he  at  once  gave  up  the  pursuit, 
evidently  of  opinion  that  he  was  altogether  too  dangerous  a 
fellow  who  could  thus  fire  over  his  shoulder  without  slacken- 
ing his  pace  !  Another  man  was  brought  to  me  some  five 
days  after  the  battle  with  spear  wounds  on  his  arm  and  body. 
He  killed  three  men,  but  was  surrounded  while  loading,  his 
gun  taken  from  him,  and  he  himself  left  for  dead.  Coming 
to  himself  during  the  night,  he  crawled  out  of  the  way  to  a 
place  of  safety ;  but  it  took  him  five  days  to  get  home,  as  he 
could  not  walk.    He  is  now  quite  well. 

The  remainder  of  the  letter  described  the  futile 
manner  in  which  the  Matabele  regiments  hung  round 
Shoshong  for  a  few  days.  Mackenzie  proposed  to 
visit  their  camp,  but  the  Bamangwato  leaders  unani- 
mously agreed  that  this  would  be  a  foolhardy  adven- 
ture. As  the  invaders  retreated,  baffled  for  the  first 
time  in  their  history  by  another  native  tribe,  they 
harried  the  country  far  and  wide. 

It  was  under  these  circumstances,  when  Mackenzie 
had  become  known  as  Sekhome  Missionary,  and  Sek- 
home's  warriors  had  turned  the  Matabele  from  their 
purpose,  that  the  proposal  was  made  to  Mackenzie  to 
make  another  journey  into  Matabeleland.  The  pro- 
posal was  made  by  Mr  J.  S.  Moffat  and  his  brother- 
in-law  Roger  Price,  who  returned  in  the  month  of 
June  from  the  South.  The  Matabele  Mission  was 
supposed  to  consist  of  three  missionaries  and  their 


86 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


families,  who  were  all  settled  at  Inyati.  It  seemed 
not  impossible  at  this  time  that,  through  ill-health  or 
other  causes,  two  of  these  households,  if  not  three, 
might  be  compelled  to  leave  the  country.  This  might 
have  meant  the  total  abandonment  of  the  Mission, 
for  iMoselekatse,  it  was  feared,  would  be  unwilling  to 
repeat  favours  which  had  been  wrung  from  him  only 
b}'  the  strong  personal  influence  of  Robert  Moffat. 
Mr  J.  S.  Moffat  was  especially  urgent  in  pleading  with 
Mackenzie  to  go  in  as  a  temporary  reinforcement  of 
the  Mission.  A  second  consideration  was  based  upon 
Moselekatse's  well-known  attitude  of  suspicion  towards 
missionaries,  and  his  fear  of  their  power  in  his  land. 
It  would  help  to  familiarise  him  with  their  presence 
if  Mackenzie  appeared  before  him  even  for  a  while, 
and  sought  to  gain  from  him  some  fresh  favour  for 
that  work.  In  connection  with  this  opportunity  there 
was  a  vague  idea  in  their  minds  that  Moselekatse 
might  be  induced  to  give  Mackenzie  a  new  station  in 
Matabeleland  where,  since  the  plans  for  the  Makololo 
had  failed,  and  Shoshong  was  at  present  pre-occupied 
by  the  Germans,  INIackenzie  might  at  least  find  it 
possible  to  settle  down.  He  made  it  clear,  in  a  letter 
written  in  the  following  year,  that  he  had  no  personal 
desire  to  make  the  journey,  and  no  real  intention  to 
settle  in  Matabeleland.  He  went,  at  some  personal 
risk  and  much  inconvenience,  at  the  earnest  and  pro- 
longed solicitation  of  his  brethren.  This  journey, 
however,  was  of  great  value  to  Mackenzie,  as  it  gave 
him  time  in  the  months  which  he  spent  there  to  study 
very  closely  what  nowada}^s  would  be  called  the 
sociology  of  a  purely  military  tribe,  and  the  per- 
sonality of  its  founder  and  chief  The  result  of  this 
study  is  described  at  length  in  his  book.^  The  follow- 
ing letter  presents  more  briefly  an  account  of  this 
journey  : — 

^  '"  Ten  Ye.irs  Noilh,"  etc.,  chaps,  xiv.-xviii. 


WANDERJAHRE"  87 


Inyati,  Sept,  1863. 

Rev.  Dr  Tidman, 

Dear  Sir, — My  last  to  you,  written  in  July  a  few  days 
after  our  departure  from  the  Bamangwato,  will  have  informed 
you  of  the  reasons  which  influenced  us  to  undertake  a  journey 
in  the  Matabele  country.  On  reaching  Mahuku's  Town  and 
receiving  reliable  intelligence  of  the  welfare  of  our  fellow- 
labourers  amongst  the  Matabele,  the  first  we  had  heard  of 
them  for  nearly  a  year,  I  sent  back  a  short  note  addressed  to 
Mr  Thompson  of  Cape  Town,  the  contents  of  which  have 
likely  been  forwarded  to  you. 

It  is  the  custom  to  announce  to  Moselekatse  the  arrival  at 
his  outposts  of  any  strangers  or  travellers.  Accordingly,  on 
the  Monday  after  our  arrival,  three  Batalaouta  were  despatched 
by  Shupeng,  who  is  now  the  head-man  at  Mahuku's  kraal,  to 
inform  Moselekatse  of  the  return  of  Mr  Moffat  accompanied 
by  another  missionary,  "  who  had  come  to  see  the  King  and 
his  friends  the  missionaries  at  Inyati."  We  found  that  great 
stress  was  laid  by  the  Batalaouta  on  the  fact  that  I  had  been 
at  Sekhome's  during  the  late  war,  in  fact  that  I  was  to  be 
announced  to  the  King  as  Sekhome's  Missionary.  While 
not  caring  to  hide  my  connection  with  the  Bamangwato  I 
endeavoured  to  impress  on  their  minds  that  I  had  only  been 
one  year  at  Sekhome's,  that  I  had  come  from  England  at  the 
same  time  as  the  Matabele  missionaries,  and  that  I  was  one 
with  them  in  entire  neutrality  in  all  political  matters.  I 
learned  afterwards,  however,  that  my  explanations  were  given 
in  vain  ;  all  that  reached  the  ear  of  the  chief  was  that 
"  Yonie  "  (Mr  Moffat)  was  coming,  accompanied  by  Sekhome's 
Missionary. 

Taking  it  for  granted  that  Moselekatse  would  admit  us, 
we  did  not  wait  at  Mahuku's  for  an  answer,  as  is  sometimes 
done,  but  slowly  followed  in  the  rear  of  our  messengers. 
After  passing  thro'  in  this  way  the  beautiful  "  Makalaka 
country,"  as  it  is  called,  we  entered  the  Matabele  territory 
proper,  now  having  an  escort,  or  spy,  a  lichaga  or  warrior, 
whose  town  was  on  the  road. 

The  messengers  from  Moselekatse  met  us  one  morning 
before  we  had  inspanned  near  the  Boherehere  river.  After 
saluting  us,  the  principal  man  began  to  give  us  the  "  mouth 
of  the  King."  First  of  all  came  a  great  number  of  questions 
concerning  myself,  summed  up  by,  "  The  King  wishes  to 
know  what  is  your  business  in  his  country?  "    After  having 


88 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


"  catechised  "  for  some  time  in  this  manner  the  messenger 
began,  not  without  some  confusion,  to  dehver  the  decision 
of  his  master.  It  was  astounding,  after  having  answered  so 
many  questions  put  by  order  of  Moselekatse  to  be  given  to 
understand  that  the  King  had  already  made  up  his  mind, 
and  that  I  was  commanded  to  return,  that  the  King  did  not 
wish  to  see  me.  On  inquiring  into  the  use  and  wont  of  the 
thing,  I  found  that  it  was  quite  customary  to  question  people 
in  this  way,  and  yet,  no  matter  what  their  answers  might  be, 
wind  up  the  conversation  summarily  by  announcing  the 
previously  formed  decision  of  the  chief.  Further,  my  friends 
were  of  opinion  that  altho'  my  position  was  not  altogether 
hopeless  thro'  this  decision  as  to  obtaining  permission  to 
enter  the  country,  it  was  nevertheless  nearly  so,  inasmuch  as 
Moselekatse  was  very  seldom  known  to  change  his  mind. 
Altho'  I  might  have  returned  at  once,  having  ascertained 
that  the  friends  at  Inyati  were  all  in  good  health,  I  confess  I 
felt  a  strong  disclination  to  do  so.  In  the  first  place  I  did 
not  relish  the  indignity  involved  in  being  sent  about  one's 
business  in  so  summary  a  manner  ;  but  above  all  that  I  felt 
it  would  tend  to  enhance  our  character  among  the  natives, 
who  are  all  suspicious,  were  we  able  to  pass  over  from  one 
tribe  to  another  in  time  of  war.  Altho'  it  may  seem  to  those 
at  a  distance  a  small  matter  that  we  have  succeeded  in  carry- 
ing our  point,  yet  we  on  the  spot  see  reasons  to  rejoice  at  it. 
Many  of  the  heathen  chiefs  with  their  people  are  still  wofully 
ignorant  as  to  the  true  object  of  the  missionary ;  we  wish  to 
teach  them  that  in  peace  and  in  war  we  are  the  disinterested 
friends  of  all,  having  one  simple  object  amongst  them,  to 
proclaim  to  them  the  gospel  and  to  instruct  them  in  its  truth. 
I  found  on  inquiry  that  one  of  the  men  was  to  return  to  the 
King  with  our  explanation  ;  so  Mr  Moffat  and  myself  set  our- 
selves to  the  task  of  unfolding  to  him  our  views  and  plans  in 
so  far  as  we  deemed  it  necessary,  reiterating  the  salient  points 
so  as  to  impress  them  on  his  mind.  We  found  the  mes- 
sengers very  respectful  and  well  disposed  ;  indeed  we  could 
understand  that  it  was  their  wish  that  I  should  be  admitted. 
Mr  Moffat  was  struck  with  the  improvement  for  the  better 
which  had  taken  place  in  his  absence  in  the  outward  be- 
haviour of  the  Matabele.  In  the  course  of  conversation  we 
learned  some  of  the  remarks  which  had  fallen  from  the  King 
when  he  heard  that  Sekhome's  teacher  was  coming.  Point- 
ing to  some  cows  in  his  cattle  pen  which  had  been  stolen 


WANDERJAHRE "  89 


from  the  Bamangwato,  Moselekatse  jocularly  called  to  his 
attendants  to  hasten  and  milk  some  of  Sekhome's  cows  for 
Sekhome's  missionary,  "for  he  must  be  hungry  after  so  long 
a  journey."  "  ^Vhy,  if  I  admit  this  man  he  will  see  every- 
thing in  the  country  and  return  and  inform  Sekhome." 
"Well,  really,"  said  a  puzzled  wife  sitting  near,  "what  crimes 
do  these  white  men  commit,  which  cause  them  to  flee  from 
their  own  country  in  this  way  ?  " 

Being  without  water  at  the  place  where  we  received  the 
king's  message,  we  suggested  that  we  go  forward  and  wait  at 
the  first  water  for  the  king's  final  decision.  To  this  the 
Machaga  agreed,  altho'  with  reluctance,  being  evidently  un- 
willing to  allow  me  to  advance  without  the  king's  consent. 
On  Friday  afternoon  the  messenger  returned  from  the  king, 
his  feet  and  legs  covered  with  dust,  but  with  a  smiling 
countenance.  Moselekatse's  answer  was  that  "  I  was  to 
come  on ;  but  where  was  my  gift  or  present  to  him,  and  that 
of  Mr  ].  Moffat?  He  had  not  seen  them."  We  reached 
the  camp  of  Moselekatse  on  Monday  afternoon  ;  but  did  not 
see  the  chief  till  next  morning.  He  was  not  living  in  a  town  ; 
but  at  the  foot  of  a  mountain  near  to  a  place  called  Sesentene. 
His  four  waggons  were  drawn  up  near  to  each  other ;  behind 
these  were  the  temporary  huts  of  his  harem  and  servants, 
closed  in  by  a  hedge  of  thorn  branches  ;  and  in  front  a  large 
pen  for  cattle  and  another  for  sheep  and  goats.  Such  were 
the  "  quarters  "  in  which  we  found  the  King  of  the  Matabele  ; 
and  thus  I  am  told  he  spends  the  greater  portion  of  the  year. 
As  in  other  things,  his  movements  seem  to  be  guided  by 
whims.  After  living  for  some  time  at  a  place  suddenly  the 
order  is  issued  to  pack  the  waggons  and  yoke  the  oxen ; 
and  before  all  of  the  attendants  know  whither  they  are  going 
the  waggons  are  moving  and  the  temporary  huts  left  in  a 
blaze. 

And  now  for  my  reception  by  Moselekatse.  After  passing 
the  little  huts  and  the  waggons  we  were  shown  into  the  sheep- 
pen,  at  the  door  of  which  sat  a  number  of  Machaga.  A  fire 
had  been  placed  in  the  middle  of  the  pen ;  near  to  this, 
seated  in  an  old-fashioned  arm-chair,  the  gift  of  Mr  Moffat, 
sat  Moselekatse.  As  we  walked  up  and  got  each  a  warm 
and  very  lengthy  shake  of  the  hand,  the  attendants  kept 
shouting  "  Great  King,"  "  Man-eater,"  etc.  On  taking  our 
places  on  the  ground  opposite  the  arm-chair  we  had  a  full 
view  of  the  object  of  this  praise  ;  and  saw  an  old,  frail  man, 


90 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


so  frail  that  he  is  carried  about  in  the  chair  by  his  wives,  and 
whose  only  clothing  then  consisted  of  an  English  blanket 
brought  loosely  round  his  loins  and  a  cadet  cap  on  his  head. 
An  old  great-coat,  the  original  of  which  was  to  me  matter  of 
speculation,  served  as  a  footstool,  and  was  removed  with  the 
chair,  when  the  King  desired  to  change  his  position.  One 
could  not  help  looking  with  peculiar  feelings  on  the  counte- 
nance of  a  man  whose  whole  career  has  been  so  bloody,  and 
so  successful.  We  could  imagine  we  saw  evidence  of  that 
force  of  character,  and  cruel  unscrupulousness,  which  have 
ever  distinguished  him.  His  features  are  still  indicative  of 
intelligence  and  force  of  character ;  while  at  the  same  time 
expressions  occasionally  flit  across  them  which  help  us  to 
realize  that  we  are  in  presence  of  one  who  could  listen  to  the 
voice  of  justice  or  mercy  unmoved.  No  notice  was  taken  of 
the  two  greatcoats  which  we  had  sent  on  the  previous  day  ; 
but  immediate  application  was  made  for  additional  "  help," 
as  the  expression  here  goes.  However,  our  reception  on  the 
whole  was  gracious  enough,  as  things  go  here.  He  recog- 
nised me  as  a  missionary  from  Kuruman,  or  England,  the 
differences  or  distances  between  these  places  not  being  very 
clearly  understood  by  the  Matabele.  Not  having  an  opportunity 
of  speaking  to  the  King  in  private,  I  did  not  introduce  the 
subject  of  the  war  with  Sekhome  ;  for  any  public  question- 
ing of  his  policy  is  not  at  all  calculated  to  produce  beneficial 
results.  Moselekatse  has  been  noted  for  the  hospitality  of 
detaining  visitors  long  after  the  time  at  which  they  desired  to 
depart.  But  lung-sickness  having  considerably  diminished  the 
quantity  of  beef  at  his  disposal,  visitors  are  no  longer  guests 
fed  at  the  King's  expense  ;  and  in  our  own  case,  after  a  stay  of 
two  days,  the  chief's  politely  expressed  reluctance  at  our  depar- 
ture was  fully  met  by  a  promise  of  an  early  visit  after  we  had 
seen  our  friends  at  Inyate.  We  hope  then  to  have  an  oppor- 
tunity of  speaking  to  the  chief  on  the  subject  of  the  war  with 
Sekhome  ;  but  we  cannot  reasonably  hope  for  much  success, 
inasmuch  as  no  one  has  ever  succeeded  hitherto  in  persuad- 
ing Moselekatse  to  give  up  his  warlike  pursuits.  It  was  at 
one  time  fondly  imagined  that  such  a  result  had  been 
obtained,  but  a  very  short  residence  in  the  country  con- 
vinced our  brethren  that  this  belief  was  altogether  unfounded. 
Since  your  missionaries  came  into  this  country,  only  one 
year  has  passed  unmarked  by  the  departure  of  the  Matabele 
forces  against  the  native  tribes  to  the  east,  north-east,  and 


"  WANDERJAHRE 


91 


north  ;  and  during  that  exceptional  year,  if  the  Matabele 
were  not  engaged  in  a  foreign  war,  they  were  occupied  with 
slaughtering  one  another.  Interest  was  brought  to  bear  with 
the  King  against  Monyebe,  the  greatest  friend  of  missionaries 
and  most  powerful  man  in  the  country  after  the  King.  He 
was  accused  of  witchcraft,  and  put  to  death  with  all  his 
house.  Such  being  the  past  history  of  the  Matabele,  even 
after  their  connexion  with  missionaries,  we  cannot  be  very 
sanguine  as  to  the  result  of  our  efforts  to  deter  the  King  from 
prosecuting  that  war  with  the  Bamangwato.  However,  we 
shall  do  our  best. 

We  reached  Inyate  on  Saturday,  29th  of  August,  when  we 
had  the  pleasure  of  meeting  with  our  dear  friends  Mr  Thomas 
and  Mr  and  Mrs  Sykes.  This  pleasure  however  had  its  sad 
alloy  in  the  absence  of  Mrs  Thomas.  All  we  could  see  of 
her,  except  in  the  features  of  her  two  little  boys,  was  her 
grave.  However,  she  herself  is  with  God,  and  doubtless 
feels  no  regret,  either  that  she  embarked  in  the  mission 
work  or  that  her  remains  are  far  removed  from  those  of  her 
kindred.  I  have  the  impression  that  Christian  work  among 
the  Zulus  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Natal,  although  extending 
over  a  lengthened  period,  has  been  sadly  unproductive  of 
results.  My  remark  applies  to  the  natives  beyond  British 
territory,  who  are  under  the  despotic  sway  of  their  chiefs.  If 
this  impression  is  correct,  there  are  others  similarly  situated 
to  your  agents  in  the  Matabele  country,  preaching  the  word 
to  a  handful  of  people  while  the  great  mass  of  the  people 
stand  scornfully  aloof.  At  the  same  time,  the  Matabele 
mission  has  been  a  trying  one  to  your  agents,  and  to  all 
appearances  their  patience  as  well  as  that  of  your  Directors 
will  be  tried  for  a  long  time  to  come  before  marked  pros- 
perity shall  attend  their  efforts.  I  am  glad  to  testify  to  the 
change  that  is  taking  place  in  the  minds  of  the  Matabele  to- 
wards the  missionaries.  Received  four  years  ago  with  the 
utmost  suspicion,  they  are  now  trusted  throughout  the 
country,  but  especially  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Inyate. 
The  overbearing  rudeness  with  which  they  were  at  first 
treated  by  all  classes  has  now  given  place  in  most  cases  to 
respect.  There  are  three  out-stations  in  connection  with 
Inyate,  which  the  brethren  visit  weekly  for  the  purpose  of 
preaching  the  Gospel  to  the  people.  The  whole  population 
which  thus  comes  under  the  influence  of  the  missionaries  is 
some  700  or  800,  while  of  these  about  150  constitute  the 


92 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


total  number  of  hearers  at  the  four  stations,  on  any  given 
week.  Repeated  attempts  have  been  made  in  the  way  of 
teaching  the  young,  but  hitherto  without  success.  Learning 
seems  to  be  regarded  by  the  people  with  fear.  They  are 
not  sure  how  Moselekatse  would  regard  such  a  movement. 
The  work  of  your  agents,  therefore,  has  been  to  a  great  extent 
of  a  preparatory  nature.  They  have  had  to  eradicate  many 
weeds  before  they  could  sow  the  good  seed  of  the  Gospel. 
However,  the  Word  of  God  can  be  said  now  to  be  found  in 
the  Matabele  country  ;  it  is  preached  regularly,  and  in  the 
language  of  the  country.  And  just  as  the  life  and  conversa- 
tion of  the  missionaries  slowly  disarmed  the  people  of 
suspicion  and  dislike,  so  the  "  Httle  leaven"  of  heaven's 
truth  at  present  in  course  of  being  introduced  into  their 
minds  cannot  possibly  remain  there  long  inert  and  unobserv- 
able.  The  soil  however  is  emphatically  a  bad  one.  The 
training  of  the  Matabele,  their  habits  of  plunder  and  blood- 
shed, and  their  social  usages,  all  combine  in  their  opposition 
to  the  requirements  of  Christianity.  Your  agents  are  labour- 
ing amongst  a  population  the  male  portion  of  which  has  been 
gathered  from  all  tribes,  knows  little  or  nothing  of  home  or 
kindred,  lives  in  barracks,  robs  and  slaughters  at  least  every 
year,  without  reference  to  sex  or  age,  and  knows  no  law  but 
that  of  their  King.  The  females  are  also  the  children  of  all 
the  tribes  and  are  as  unpromising  as  the  men,  if  not  more 
so,  as  subjects  of  the  Gospel.  These  things  are  mentioned 
simply  for  the  purpose  of  showing  that  the  difficulties  of  this 
field  are  of  no  ordinary  description  ;  and  considering  the 
amount  of  opposition  and  ill-feeling  which  has  been  over- 
come the  directors  and  friends  of  the  Society  have  good 
reason  to  be  thankful,  although  their  agents  here  cannot 
point  to  a  single  individual  and  say — "  I  have  good  hope  of 
this  person,"  or  "  Here  is  our  first  convert." 

When  I  left  Bamangwato,  I  promised  to  Mr  Price  to 
return  in  the  course  of  the  summer,  provided  that  Mr  and 
Mrs  Sykes  were  in  such  health  as  to  enable  them  to  carry  on 
the  duties  of  this  station  in  conjunction  with  Mr  and  Mrs 
Moffat.  It  was  understood  that  only  one  inducement  ought 
to  detain  me  in  the  country,  the  permission  of  Moselekatse 
to  occupy  a  new  district  as  a  field  of  missionary  labour. 
W^hile  my  oxen  are  resting  I  shall  endeavour  to  find  out  the 
views  of  the  head-men  on  this  subject,  and  should  I  find 
that  they  are  decidedly  opposed  to  the  establishment  of  a 


WANDERJAHRE"  93 


separate  station  I  shall  not  make  the  request  formally  of  the 
king.  Should  I  meet  with  encouragement,  however,  and  in 
the  end  obtain  from  the  king  a  suitable  place  for  a  station,  I 
think  the  Directors  will  agree  with  my  brethren  here  and 
with  myself  that  it  would  be  of  importance  not  to  neglect 
such  an  opening.  At  the  same  time  rather  than  attempt  to 
push  the  matter,  and  rather  than  wait  on,  doing  next  to 
nothing,  in  the  hope  that  a  more  favourable  time  may  come, 
I  conceive  it  will  be  my  duty  to  return  to  the  Bamangwato, 
which  is  at  any  rate  a  riper  field  than  the  Matabele  country, 
and  where  I  can  resume  direct  and  encouraging  labours 
which  were  interrupted  by  the  present  journey. — I  remain, 
ever  yours  truly,  John  Mackenzie. 

Another  letter  which  Mackenzie  wrote  after  his 
return  to  Shoshong  describes  at  greater  length  the 
negotiations  which  he  carried  on  with  Moselekatse, 
and  the  means  which  he  employed  for  discovering 
the  exact  facts  in  Matabeleland  from  the  missionary's 
point  of  view.  He  concentrated  attention  upon  one 
object,  to  ascertain  the  amount  of  liberty  granted 
by  Moselekatse  to  missionaries  on  the  one  hand,  and 
to  his  own  people  in  relation  to  the  missionaries  on 
the  other.  He  conversed  especially  with  the  head- 
men, through  whom  the  chief  carried  out  his  will.  In 
brief,  Mackenzie  found  that,  while  the  missionaries  had 
nominally  all  liberty  to  teach  and  preach,  the  people 
were  warned  that  they  must  not  learn.  Moselekatse 
knew  full  well  that  people  who  read  the  gospel  could 
not  remain  true  to  his  military  system,  and  that  men 
who  learn  to  read  could  not  be  prevented  from  reading 
the  gospel.  When  the  chief,  to  the  amazement  of 
everyone,  agreed  to  give  Mackenzie  a  fountain  for  his 
new  station,  and  empowered  Mr  J.  S.  Moffat  to  select 
one,  Mackenzie  used  this  as  the  opportunity  for 
making  one  more  urgent  appeal  to  the  chief  to  allow 
his  people  to  become  real  learners.  In  this  attempt 
he  completely  failed  ;  and,  as  it  seemed  to  him  per- 
fectly useless  to  open   a  new   mission   in   a  land 


94 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


practically  closed  to  mission  work,  while  in  other 
directions  many  thousands  of  heathen  people  were 
hungering  to  be  taught,  he  decided  to  return  to 
Shoshong. 

It  was  during  this  visit  to  the  Matabele  that  the  first 
bereavement  fell  upon  Mackenzie's  immediate  family. 
In  October  his  third  child,  born  at  Shoshong  the 
previous  year,  died  of  croup  at  the  age  of  fourteen 
months.  Mackenzie's  affectionate  heart  was  deeply 
moved  at  the  loss  of  little  Annie.  To  the  end  of  his 
days  he  referred  to  her  with  a  loving  and  tender 
affection,  and  spoke  of  her  always  as  still  one  of  the 
family,  and  one  of  whose  continued  life  in  the  unseen 
he  was  immovably  convinced.  He  wrote  at  the  time 
as  follows  : — 

Now,  don't  grieve  over  us  as  if  our  affliction  must  have 
been  so  very  much  heightened  by  our  being  in  a  heathen 
land.  We  were  among  very  kind  friends ;  and,  above  all, 
we  buried  our  child  with  calm  triumph,  submitting  to  Death, 
and  the  Grave,  and  Corruption,  in  the  light  of  the  Gospel. 
"  I  am  the  Resurrection  and  the  Life ;  "  "  SulTer  the  little 
children  to  come  unto  Me.''  Altho'  we  say  it  with  a  sigh, 
still  we  are  glad  and  happy  that  we  have  a  child  in  Heaven, 
in  that  wondrous  "  House  of  the  Lord."  O  for  one  glimpse 
of  what  she  sees  !  You  know  why  we  are  here.  We  came 
as  a  "  stop  the  gap  "  ;  had  we  not  come,  and  had  our  brethren 
here  been  in  bad  health,  the  Mission  might  have  been 
dispersed  for  a  time;  and  it  is  not  always  easy  to  resume 
what  has  been  given  up  in  the  country  of  the  Matabele.  It 
is  not  certain  whether  we  remain  here  or  not.  Perhaps  the 
likelihood  is  that  we  shall  go  out  again.  There  is  not 
freedom,  and  until  there  is,  three  missionaries  are  enough. 
The  people  here  are  the  most  degraded  of  all  the  tribes  I 
have  visited.  The  King  has  great  power,  in  fact  does  what 
he  pleases  with  his  subjects,  who  fear  him  very  much.  This 
is  the  obstacle  to  the  progress  of  the  Gospel.  Moselekatse 
has  more  at  stake  than  many  other  chiefs  in  connection  with 
the  reception  of  the  Gospel  by  his  people.  The  whole 
social  fabric  of  the  Matabele  must  be  completely  changed, 
their  whole  policy,  their  whole  course  of  life,  when  the 


"WANDERJAHRE"  95 


Gospel  is  generally  received.  The  King  is  intelligent  enough 
to  see  this ;  and  it  may  be  long  before  much  is  effected,  for 
this  very  reason.  Of  course  cases  of  individual  conversion 
may  take  place,  altho'  they  have  not  done  so  as  yet. 
The  Word  and  Spirit  of  God  are  omnipotent. 

Shortly  after  Mackenzie's  return  to  Shoshong,  where 
Price  had  settled  in  diligent  service,  he  received  news 
that  the  German  missionaries  were  to  be  withdrawn 
from  all  stations  in  Bechuanaland,  and  that  Mr 
Schulenborg  would  not  return  to  Shoshong.  The 
way  now  was  open  to  him  to  consider  his  appoint- 
ment by  the  Directors  to  this  station  as  final,  and  he 
forthwith  set  himself  to  the  work  which  occupied  him 
for  more  than  ten  years  among  the  most  powerful 
tribe  in  Bechuanaland,  happy  indeed  to  have  done 
with  the  six  homeless  years  of  his  wanderings  up  and 
down  South  Africa. 


CHAPTER  IV 


THE  FIRST  PERIOD  AT  SHOSHONG  (1864-1871) 

Mackenzie  has  given  a  very  full  account  of  the  next 
period  of  his  life.^  We  must  be  content  with  a  more 
brief  survey.  He  has  described  Shoshong  in  the 
following  words  :  — "  Shoshong,  the  town  of  the 
Bamangwato,  contains  a  population  of  some  30,000. 
It  is  situated  at  the  foot  of  a  mountain  range  of 
primary  rock  stretching  from  east  to  west  for  more 
than  a  dozen  miles.  About  three  miles  to  the  south 
of  this  range  there  is  another  basaltic  mountain  called 
Marutlwe,  in  the  neighbourhood  of  which  both  sand- 
stone and  limestone  are  to  be  found.  The  ground 
lying  between  the  hills  is  occupied  by  the  gardens  of 
the  Bamangwato.  The  main  town  spreads  along  the 
foot  of  the  mountain,  and  some  distance  along  the 
gorge  in  the  mountain  range,  where  the  stream  flows 
which  supplies  the  town  with  water.  There  are  also 
five  divisions  of  the  town  in  a  beautifully  sheltered 
position  among  the  mountains.  Again,  there  are 
small  towns  along  the  range  to  the  west  to  the 
distance  of  some  six  miles,  all  being  under  one  chief, 
whose  decision  is  final."  The  comfort  of  life  at 
Shoshong  was  much  affected  by  the  inadequacy  of 
the  water  supply,  for  which  the  entire  town  depended 
upon  a  few  springs  in  the  bed  of  the  river  in  the 
kloof  The  river  channel  opposite  the  mission 
premises,  and  right  through  the  town,  was  perfectly 
dry,  except  after  sudden  and  abundant  rains.  Then 
the  river  came  down   in   a  flood,   which  however 

^  *'  Ten  Years  North  of  the  Orange  River,"  chapters  xviii.-xxv. 

96 


THE  FIRST  PERIOD  AT  SIIOSHONG  97 


speedily  subsided  ;  after  the  rainy  season  was  over 
no  signs  of  it  remained.  Mackenzie  would  have  liked 
for  his  own  sake,  as  well  as  for  the  sake  of  the  natives, 
to  institute  a  small  system  of  irrigation  at  Shoshong. 
Indeed,  when  he  was  home  in  1870,  he  wrote  to  Dr 
Mullens,  the  Foreign  Secretary  of  the  Society,  saying : 
"  I  wish  some  kind  friend  of  the  Mission  would  present 
me  with  a  pump  in  order  that  through  irrigation  we 
might  at  least  occasionally  enjoy  the  luxury  of  a  few 
vegetables  at  dinner."  But  he  never  had  either  the 
time  or  money  to  carry  out  so  useful  a  project. 

It  was  a  picturesque  sight,  undoubtedly,  which  met 
the  eye  in  the  early  morning,  and  especially  at  sunset, 
as  the  women  of  the  town  went  up  to  the  springs  with 
large  earthen  pots  on  their  heads  to  fetch  the  water 
supply  for  the  following  day.  The  interest  of  watch- 
ing this  stream  of  human  beings  moving  up  and  down 
the  valley  was  for  the  missionary  children  only  rivalled 
by  watching  the  strange  daily  procession  of  baboons. 
These  animals  frequented  the  mountains  overhanging 
the  town,  and  possessed  the  singular  habit  of  using  the 
mountain  on  one  side  of  the  river  for  sleeping  in,  and 
the  range  on  the  other  side  for  their  daylight  excur- 
sions in  search  of  food.  It  was  ever  a  matter  of  great 
interest  to  go  up  the  kloof  and  watch  these  big  human- 
like animals  crossing  the  river  to  their  sleeping  apart- 
ments. That  they  had  some  measure  and  manner  of 
family  discipline  was  firmly  believed  by  all  who  watched 
them,  and  who,  almost  every  evening,  heard  the  indig- 
nant speech  of  an  adult  baboon,  the  easily  identified 
sounds  of  whacking,  and  the  corresponding  shrill  replies 
of  juvenile  pain  and  resentment. 

The  town  was  also  infested  by  wolves,  or,  more 
properly,  hyenas  of  the  usually  cowardly  and  treacher- 
ous and  filthy  kind.  They  would  creep  after  nightfall  to 
the  precincts  of  the  town  and  steal  whatsoever  they 
could  lay  hold  of,  a  goat  or  a  child.     Mackenzie  tried 

G 


98 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


to  encourage  the  natives  to  reduce  the  numbers  of 
these  unwelcome  scavengers.  He  several  times  set 
gun-traps,  and  once  he  used  meat  poisoned  with 
strychnine  in  order  to  get  rid  of  some  unusually 
daring  depredator,  and  each  time  with  success.  His 
elder  children  still  remember  a  weird  hyena  scene. 
One  night,  when  several  traders  sat  talking  with 
Mackenzie  in  his  parlour,  his  dogs  started  up  sud- 
denly with  a  unanimous  howling  and  barking  and 
a  rush  in  one  direction.  This  could  only  mean  a 
hyena.  Lanterns  were  procured,  a  gun  was  shouldered 
by  Mackenzie,  and  they  rushed  out  into  the  darkness. 
The  sounds  drew  them  to  the  rocks  at  the  foot  of  the 
mountain  immediately  behind  the  house.  There  they 
found  that  the  dogs,  by  harassing  and  worrying,  had 
exhausted  the  energies  of  the  hyena,  and  it  lay  panting 
on  a  flat  rock  almost  in  reach  of  safety.  Mackenzie 
proposed  to  shoot  it,  when  a  little  trader,  whose 
diminutive  size  and  bow  legs  created  constant  merri- 
ment among  the  natives,  protested  that  the  skin  should 
not  be  spoilt,  that  he  could  cut  its  throat.  Someone 
handed  him  a  knife,  which  turned  out  to  be  too  blunt. 
When  his  sawing  at  the  throat  with  this  unhappy  in- 
strument at  last  irritated  the  skin,  the  reviving  energies 
of  the  hyena  enabled  it  to  snap  at  and  hold  the  trader's 
toe  within  its  jaws.  The  native  crowd  burst  into  an 
irresistible  guffaw  at  the  ludicrous  scene.  The  im- 
prisoned boot  was  quickly  shaken  free,  and  Mackenzie 
was  allowed  to  shoot.  A  little  boy  is  still  remembered 
whose  face  bore  the  marks  of  another  wolf's  fangs 
upon  it.  He  was  out  after  dark,  when  one  of  these 
brutes  caught  him,  and  throwing  him  over  its  shoulder, 
made  off  for  the  mountains.  The  boy's  right  hand 
was,  happily,  hanging  down  and  dragging  on  the 
ground,  and  it  came  upon  a  sharp  stone.  Immediately 
seizing  this  stone,  this  plucky  little  fellow  so  be- 
laboured the  wolf's  face  with  the  ragged  edges  that 


THE  FIRST  PERIOD  AT  SHOSHONG  99 


it  was  glad  to  drop  its  victim.  One  more  wolf  story 
Mackenzie  used  thoroughly  to  enjoy.  It  was  of  a 
trader  who,  on  approaching  Shoshong  and  finding  the 
nights  hot,  protested  against  sleeping  in  his  waggon. 
Having  spread  out  a  large  kaross,  or  tanned  skin,  on 
the  ground,  he  lay  down  to  sleep,  laughing  in  contempt 
at  the  idea  that  any  animal  could  interfere  with  him. 
He  awoke  up  suddenly  to  find  himself  still,  indeed,  on 
the  kaross,  but  bumping  along  over  the  ground,  hauled 
by  an  invisible  agency  of  the  darkness.  His  vigorous 
yells  speedily  aroused  his  companions,  who  were  cruel 
enough  to  enjoy  the  event  and  to  share  their  enjoyment 
with  others. 

The  Bamangwato  tribe,  whose  chief  town  was  at 
Shoshong,  had  become  powerful  from  about  the  year 
1845  onwards.  It  owed  much  of  its  prosperity  to  a 
former  chief,  Khari  by  name,  of  whom  Mackenzie  says 
that,  "  brave  in  the  field,  wise  in  counsel,  kind  to  his 
vassals,  Khari  was  all  that  the  Bechuanas  desired  their 
chief  to  be."  His  legal  heir  was  Macheng,  a  son  of 
his  head  wife  ;  but  an  elder  son  of  a  subordinate  wife, 
Sekhome  by  name,  usurped  the  throne,  killed  some  of 
his  rivals,  and  caused  the  flight  of  Macheng  to  Mata- 
beleland.  Under  Sekhome,  the  tribe  prospered  until 
manhood  was  reached  by  his  two  sons,  Khame  and 
Khamane.  These  two  had  received  Christian  instruc- 
tion from  Mr  Schulenborg,  and  had  been  baptised  by 
him.  Khame  grew  up  to  be  a  man  of  extraordinary 
dignity  of  character,  his  grasp  of  Christian  morality 
being  unusually  strong  and  clear,  and  his  loyalty  to 
the  Christian  God  profound  and  immovable.  It  was 
this  noble-minded  fidelity  of  Khame's  heart,  combined 
with  an  untiring  charity,  which  led  to  some  of  the 
most  dramatic  situations  known  in  the  history  of  any 
native  tribe.  One  can  easily  see  that  in  the  relations 
of  Sekhome  to  Macheng,  his  brother,  a  more  degraded 
heathen  than  himself,  and  to  his  Christian  sons,  all  the 


100  JOHN  MACKENZIE 


elements  were  present  of  a  long  series  of  plots  and 
counter-plots.  Some  of  these  we  shall  see  unfolded 
in  the  following  pages. 

The  gospel  was  first  preached  to  the  Bamangwato 
by  David  Livingstone,  during  his  first  journey  north- 
ward to  his  discovery  of  Lake  Ngami.  The  first 
regular  teacher  of  the  tribe  was  Sehunelwe  a  member 
of  the  Kuruman  Church,  who  had  been  prepared  for 
his  work  by  Robert  Moffat,  and  who  was  supported  in 
it  by  a  few  friends  in  Glasgow.  In  1858,  Mr 
Schulenborg  arrived,  and  worked  faithfully  for  a  short 
period  ;  his  chief  distinction,  however,  lies  in  the  fact 
that  he  had  baptised  Khame  and  his  brother.  He 
formed  a  Christian  church,  but  did  so  prematurely,  in 
Mackenzie's  estimation,  and  of  such  material  that  the 
foundations  had  to  be  relaid  some  years  later. 

Mackenzie  set  himself  to  the  work  of  evangelising 
the  Bamangwato  people  with  all  his  heart  and  soul  ; 
for  a  while  he  had  as  his  colleague  the  late  Roger 
Price,  who  in  a  short  time,  however,  moved  to  Sechele's 
town,  leaving  Mackenzie  with  a  task  which  he  always 
felt  to  be  far  beyond  the  limits  of  one  man's  powers.  In 
brief,  his  work  consisted,  first,  in  preaching,  not  only 
on  Sunday  but  during  the  week  in  the  king's  court- 
yard and  at  various  central  portions  of  the  widely- 
extended  town  ;  second,  in  carrying  on  day-school 
teaching,  for  which  he  had  no  assistance  ;  and  third, 
in  putting  up  all  the  buildings  necessary  for  a  Mission 
Station.  In  1866  he  reported  informally  that  he  had 
22  candidates  for  membership  in  the  church  which  he 
hoped  to  establish  ;  he  had  about  60  regular  hearers 
at  his  Sunday  congregations  ;  he  had  one  day-school 
whose  attendance  consisted  of  30  adults  and  8 
children ;  he  had  besides  two  district  schools  with 
similar  attendance.  It  was  impossible,  of  course,  to 
carry  on  this  educational  work  during  the  recurring 
wars  which  disturbed  the  people,  and  the  building 


THE  FIRST  PERIOD  AT  SHOSHONG  loi 


operations  which  necessarily  absorbed  his  time  and 
energy.  The  following  extracts  from  letters  give  all 
too  brief  glimpses  of  this  side  of  his  work. 

To  Miss  E.  B.  Douglas,  Portobello. 

Shoshong,  \M  March  1865. 

We  are  making  a  little  progress  here  in  our  work.  In  the 
district  schools  which  Mr  Price  and  I  started  some  time 
ago,  we  have  had  considerable  encouragement.  The  young 
people  are  generally  willing  to  learn  to  read ;  and  the  old 
people  who  are,  alas  !  unwilling  to  do  anything  themselves, 
make  a  great  virtue  of  giving  their  sons  and  nephews  liberty 
to  learn.  The  heathen  rite  of  circumcision  is  now  being 
celebrated  here  with  great  demonstrations.  The  old  chief, 
by  very  unworthy  arguments,  has  succeeded  in  inducing  two 
of  his  younger  sons  who  attended  school,  and  one  of  whom 
was  a  very  fair  scholar,  to  cast  in  their  lot  with  him  and  go 
to  the  ceremony,  the  celebration  of  which  continues  for  some 
two  months.  We  hope  they  will  come  back  again  after  it  is 
over.  They  are  young  and  undecided,  but  with  God's  help, 
may  eventually  see  their  way  to  something  better  than  the 
tomfooleries  in  which  they  are  now  engaged.  The  eldest 
son  is  really  a  nice  lad,  unassuming  and  manly ;  and  the 
second  is  also  a  fair  character,  although  excelled  by  his 
brother.  There  is  a  third  son  by  the  same  wife,  perhaps 
about  15,  also  a  quiet,  thoughtful  lad. 

It  is  difficult  to  say  what  were  or  are  the  religious  practices 
of  this  people  before  their  connection  with  white  men.  Of 
course,  even  the  heathen  are  indirectly  influenced  by  the 
opinions  of  the  white  people ;  and  Morimo  (God)  gets  credit 
for  a  great  deal  now  that  was  formerly  attributed  to  other 
agencies. 

The  Bechuana  will  appear  surprised  and  sceptical  when 
you  preach  to  them  the  Resurrection  from  the  Dead,  and  the 
Final  Judgment ;  and  yet  they  themselves  are  in  the  habit  of 
resorting  to  the  grave  of  an  ancestor,  and  there  offering  up 
their  prayers  for  the  help  of  the  departed  one  in  any  diffi- 
culty in  which  they  may  be  placed  at  the  time.  This  act  is 
perhaps  not  frequently  performed  and  I  am  not  aware  that  it 
is  practised  except  by  the  chief  men.  But  Bechuana  of  all 
classes  were  in  the  habit  in  their  journeys  to  select  a  very 


102 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


large  tree  in  a  forest,  and  there  under  its  shadow  offer  up 
their  prayers.  To  whom  these  prayers  were  made  it  is  diffi- 
cult to  find  out,  but  it  was  probably  to  their  ancestors.  Per- 
haps it  is  a  faint  shadow  of  that  hoary  and  widely-spread  ritual 
which  in  Britain  is  known  as  Druidism. 

Witchcraft  is  to  the  Bechuana  a  terrible  reality,  although 
not  to  the  same  extent  that  it  is  amongst  the  Zulus.  So 
uniformly  have  all  white  men  ridiculed  this  article  of  faith, 
that  it  is  universally  admitted  by  them  that  we  don't  know 
how  to  bewitch.  This  is  a  fortunate  thing  ;  many  an  inno- 
cent Zulu  is  put  to  death  through  jealousy,  etc.,  the  pretext 
given  by  the  king  being  that  he  is  a  "  Vv^izard." 

Peculiar  ideas  are  entertained  out  here  about  mad  people. 
The  word  for  mad  is  tsenwa^  the  passive  of  tse7ia^  to  enter,  to 
go  in.  Our  English  expression  "  possessed  "  is  pretty  near 
to  the  Bechuana  idea.  Well  when  a  person  gets  mad,  he 
has  got  Morimo,  and  therefore  some  day  he  is  Morimo.  A 
poor  woman  lately  became  deranged,  when  hundreds  of 
women  flocked  to  see  her  with  offerings  of  corn,  etc.  All 
the  questions  which  gipsies  and  other  adepts  at  palmistry  at 
home  are  so  ready  to  answer,  were  put  to  this  demented 
creature,  and  answers  of  some  kind  obtained.  As  if  they 
themselves  were  not  satisfied  with  their  conduct,  these  de- 
votees in  some  cases  explained  that  the  woman  was  not  God, 
but  went  to  speak  to  Him  on  the  mountain  at  night ;  and 
that  He  then  instructed  her  what  to  say. 

To  the  Rev.  Joseph  Mullens,  D.D. 

Shoshong,  i-jth  June  1867. 

Like  all  Bechuana  tribes,  the  Bamangwato  have  the  name 
Morimo  (God)  in  their  language ;  but  in  their  unenlightened 
state  they  had  no  knowledge  of  such  being  as  the  God  of 
the  Bible.  According  to  them  the  dwelUng  of  Morimo  was 
not  above  but  below  on  the  earth.  In  this  tribe  a  chief  or  a 
master  is  daily  addressed  as  Morimo ;  and  although  all  have 
now  at  least  heard  of  the  true  God,  even  a  missionary  is  still 
frequently  shocked  to  hear  himself  addressed  as  Morimo, 
while  some  trifling  favour  is  acknowledged  or  begged ;  such  is 
the  force  of  habit. 

Life  to  these  wretched  heathen  was,  alas  !  and  still  is,  full 
of  imaginary  dangers,  crowded  with  things  which  are  not 
"  canny."    Their  own  flocks  and  herds  may  be  possessed 


THE  FIRST  PERIOD  AT  SHOSHONG  103 


with  evil  spirits  bent  on  the  master's  destruction  or  that  of 
his  family.  I  have  bought  cattle  which  the  natives  would 
no  longer  keep.  When  the  heathen  goes  to  hunt  he  may 
meet  with  great  misfortune  by  happening  to  gaze  on  a 
certain  animal.  Consequently,  they  have  doctors  who  are 
said  to  be  able  to  help  them  against  these  multiform  evils, 
for  a  consideration.  From  these  doctors  they  buy  medicines 
and  charms.  They  wear  them  on  their  heads,  their  necks, 
their  wrists,  their  kaross,  their  ankles.  Between  the  ngaka 
or  doctor,  who  is  also  sometimes  called  7noloi  or  wizard,  and 
these  numerous  charms,  there  was  little  room  left  in  the 
Bechuana  mind  for  the  position  or  action  of  Morimo.  In- 
deed, if  he  had  clearly  defined  attributes  at  all,  they  would 
seem  to  have  been  malicious  ones  ;  Morimo  was  a  mystery, 
or  an  object  of  dread,  or  both,  to  the  poor  benighted  ones. 
It  is  worthy  of  notice  also  that  in  times  of  great  distress  the 
"  last  resource "  was  not  to  pray  to  Morimo ;  but  to  repair 
to  the  grave  of  some  powerful  ancestor,  and  there  lay  their 
case  in  all  its  details  before  the  departed  and  unheeding 
spirit. 

In  1865  Mackenzie  set  himself  to  build  a  house. 
The  following  "  statement  of  outlay "  gives  a  very 
brief  summary  of  the  facts.  How  much  personal  toil 
was  involved  in  this  undertaking  it  would  be  hard  to 
say,  for  Mackenzie  had  to  discover  a  clay  bed,  make 
frames  for  his  bricks,  and  then — the  hardest  task  of 
all — had  to  train  native  workers  to  make  bricks  ;  then 
he  undertook  the  task  of  burning  these,  which  involved 
not  only  the  building  of  brick  kilns,  but  the  hauling 
of  firewood  in  waggons  for  a  long  distance.  His 
family  can  recall  the  intense  anxiety  with  which  he 
one  day  awaited  the  result  of  his  first  experiment. 
He  set  himself  also  to  use  lime,  and.  having  discovered 
limestone,  brought  it  in  waggons  to  the  Station,  there 
burned  it,  and  prepared  it  for  making  mortar.  The 
astonishment  of  the  natives  at  the  action  of  the  lime 
was  amusing  in  a  high  degree.  And,  further,  Mackenzie 
had  to  take  his  waggons  out  into  the  forest,  cut  down 
trees,  persuade  the  natives  to  drag  them  into  the 


104 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


waggons,  bring  them  to  the  mission  ground,  and  there 
saw  them  into  boards.  For  the  last  purpose  he  dug 
a  pit  and  taught  two  natives  to  use  a  pit-saw.  The 
house  which  he  built  measured  38  ft.  by  23  ft,  and 
comprised  five  rooms,  besides  the  kitchen  and  pantry. 

Statement  of  Outlay  in  Building  a  Dwelling-House 

I  received  valuable  assistance  from  several  Englishmen, 

who,  with  the  exception  of  H  ,  who  was  hired  by  the 

month,  would  receive  no  wages.  They  of  their  own  accord 
'*  gave  me  a  hand  "  for  weeks  or  months,  as  they  had  oppor- 
tunity. They  boarded  at  my  table,  of  course,  while  at  work. 
Having  no  garden  here,  and  everything  on  my  table  except 
milk  having  to  be  paid  for  at  high  prices  in  the  interior,  I 
must  in  justice  to  myself  make  the  charge  of  P^^^  month 
for  one  man.    The  items  are  as  follows  : — 

1865.  W.  H. — Wages,  £1^]  board  3  months, 

;£io  los.    ....  ^24  10  o 
W.  F. — Board    .        .        .        .        .     12  10  o 

F.  C—  Do.    •  900 

L.  Do.      .        .        .        .        .       3  10  o 

Paid  native  labourers  in  beads,  etc.       .     11  16  6 

1867.    M.  for  kitchen  and  pantry    .        .  .1500 

^76     6  6 

This  outlay  was  met  by  myself  at  the  time,  and  charged  to 
the  account  of  salary.  I  now  beg  to  request  that  the  above 
sum  be  refunded  to  me.  I  may  mention  that,  after  all,  the 
chief  part  of  the  work  was  done  by  my  own  hands,  the  brick- 
laying and  dressing  the  timber.  I  worked  for  months  as  hard 
as  any  labouring  man.  The  brick-making  was  partially  paid 
for  by  me  to  Sekhome,  from  whom  I  had  four  men  hired 
for  a  heifer  each. 

Shoshong,  3rd  July  1867. 

In  connection  with  the  building  of  this  house,  a 
romantic  incident  took  place  which  casts  light  at  once 
upon  the  South  Africa  of  those  years,  and  upon  human 
nature.  There  came  to  Shoshong  one  Tom  Wood, 
an  Englishman  of  the  bluff  and  hearty  type,  who 


THE  FIRST  PERIOD  AT  SHOSHONG  105 


had  been  a  carpenter  and  had  made  some  money, 
and  become  a  hunter.  Between  him  and  Mackenzie 
there  sprang  up  a  strong  mutual  confidence  and 
regard.  When  they  were  discussing  the  best  way 
of  roofing  the  new  house,  Tom  Wood  urgently 
recommended  the  use  of  corrugated  iron,  which 
seemed  an  impossible,  because  expensive,  plan  to 
the  missionary.  The  hunter,  however,  made  a  pro- 
posal, which  won  the  day  for  his  plan.  He  offered, 
if  Mackenzie  would  lend  him  a  waggon  and  some 
oxen  which  he  needed  for  his  own  purposes,  to 
make  a  journey  through  the  Transvaal  to  Durban, 
do  his  own  business  there,  buy  the  iron  roofing,  and 
bring  it  to  Shoshong  free  of  charge.  This  was 
agreed  to,  and  Tom  Wood  set  forth  with  the 
valuable  small  waggon  and  the  loan  of  something 
less  than  a  full  span  of  oxen.  It  was  intended 
that  he  should  be  back  by  September,  when  the 
rainy  season  might  begin.  September  arrived  and 
passed,  but  there  was  no  sign  of  Tom  Wood  and 
no  message  from  him.  As  days  and  weeks  more 
went  by  the  missionary  had  the  sore  experience  of 
being  told  on  all  hands  that  he  had  been  fooled, 
that  he  had  no  right  to  trust  so  much  that  was 
of  value  to  a  mere  travelling  adventurer.  But 
Mackenzie  felt  certain  that  the  soul  of  Tom  Wood 
was  true,  and  shaking  his  big  head,  said  that  his  faith 
in  him  would  yet  be  vindicated.  That  kind  of 
certainty  can  only  live  on  itself,  and  can  give  no 
reason  but  itself  to  others.  In  the  meantime  the 
wet  season  had  to  be  met.  It  was  known  that  the 
Boers  sometimes  use  a  certain  soil  called  "  braak 
grond,"  which  contains  salt,  and  from  which,  when 
rain  falls,  it  runs  off  on  the  surface.  Forth  Mackenzie 
went  into  the  forest  and  cut  down  hundreds  of 
makuru  trees.  The  central  wood  of  this  tree  is  so 
hard  that  ants  do  not  eat  it  ;  but  its  hardness  made 


io6  JOHN  MACKENZIE 

it  difficult  to  work.  To  saw  this  into  planks  was  out 
of  the  question,  so  it  was  resolved  simply  to  split 
up  each  tree  with  wedges,  and  then  use  the  adze 
to  smooth  the  inner  surface  of  each  half,  and  to 
remove  the  outer  soft  wood  which  the  ants  would 
enjoy.  As  the  wood  is  beautifully  grained,  these 
smoothed  faces,  when  fitted  close  together,  make  a 
striking  and  ornamental  ceiling.  Over  them  was 
placed  a  layer  of  clay,  and  over  that  the  "  braak 
grond "  soil.  This  answered  fairly  well.  Only  a 
few  showers  came  through  into  one  room,  over  which 
the  ants  had  worked  through  the  clay  at  one  or  two 
points,  and  opened  the  way  for  the  water.  Con- 
tentedly the  family  faced  the  rainy  season  in  the 
new  house,  which  seemed  like  a  palace  after  the  two- 
roomed  hut.  The  season  of  Christmas  and  New 
Year  approached,  and  still  no  sign  of  Tom  Wood  ; 
and  still  Mackenzie  shook  his  head  emphatically,  and 
believed  in  him.  Now,  on  last  New  Year's  Day,  the 
lost  traveller  had  dined  with  the  Mackenzies,  and 
before  he  went  off  to  Durban,  he  had  said,  "  You'll 
see,  Mrs  Mackenzie,  that  I'll  eat  my  next  New  Year's 
dinner  with  you."  Sadly  they  surmised  that  now 
that  must  be  out  of  the  question.  When  New  Year's 
Day  came  Tom  Wood  did  come  with  it ! 

When  he  reached  Durban,  Tom  Wood  found  that 
the  firm  with  whom  his  money  was  deposited  had 
failed  and  his  money  was  all  gone.  The  brave 
fellow,  because  he  was  a  true  man  and  was  trusted 
by  another  true  man  a  thousand  miles  away,  set  to 
work  at  his  own  trade,  and  worked  incessantly  till  he 
had  made  enough  money  to  buy  that  roofing  and  his 
own  hunting  supplies.  After  hard  and  silent  toil  he 
set  forth  to  reach  Shoshong  in  time  to  keep  that 
appointment  with  Mrs  Mackenzie  for  New  Year's 
Day. 

The  following  year,  1866,  saw  an  almost  complete 


THE  FIRST  PERIOD  AT  SHOSHONG  107 


arrest  of  all  ordinary  missionary  operations  at  Sho- 
shong.  The  following  letters  give  a  sufficiently 
complete  account  of  the  remarkable  events  which 
occurred  at  that  time  : — 

Shoshong,  \<^th  March  1866. 

The  Rev.  Dr  Tidman. 

Rev.  and  Dear  Sir, — Two  years  ago  it  was  my 
duty  to  communicate  the  incidents  connected  with  an  attack 
on  the  Bamangwato  by  the  Matabele.  It  is  now  my  painful 
task  to  inform  you  that  a  division  has  just  taken  place  among 
the  Bamangwato  themselves,  which  cannot  but  materially 
affect  our  work  as  missionaries  in  this  part  of  the  country. 
In  order  to  a  proper  understanding  of  this  quarrel  it  will  be 
necessary  to  recall  a  few  events  connected  with  the  past 
history  of  this  tribe. 

It  will  be  remembered  that  Macheng,  who  was  liberated  by 
Mr  Moffat  from  captivity  among  the  Matabele,  has  a  claim  to 
the  chieftainship  of  the  Bamangwato  prior  to  that  of  Sekhome. 
Macheng's  mother  was,  it  would  seem,  the  chief  wife  of 
Khari,  who  was  the  father  of  both  Macheng  and  Sekhome. 
Macheng,  then,  on  his  return  from  the  Matabele  was 
recognized  as  chief ;  but  the  tenure  of  his  power  was 
brief.  Brought  up  among  the  soldiers  of  the  Zulu  despot, 
Macheng  aimed  at  exercising  a  sway  among  his  father's 
people  equally  despotic  to  that  of  Moselekatse.  Sekhome 
fled  for  refuge  to  Sechele's  with  Khame  and  Khamane,  his 
children.  All  property  was  declared  to  belong  to  Macheng, 
and  nothing  could  be  bought  or  sold  except  by  his  command 
or  with  his  cognizance.  By  and  by  a  petty  chief  was  put  to 
death  by  Macheng,  upon  which  the  head-men,  who  before 
this  were  tired  of  their  new  king,  were  now  also  in  terror  of 
him  lest  they  should  share  the  fate  of  him  who  had  been 
summarily  put  to  death.  Secret  meetings  were  held  at  which 
Chukuru  took  a  leading  part ;  and  it  was  agreed  to  recall 
Sekhome.  Overtures  were  accordingly  made,  and  both 
Sekhome  and  Sechele  were  found  to  be  agreeable,  the  one 
again  to  assume  his  position  as  chief,  the  other  to  aid  with 
his  men  in  the  accomplishment  of  that  end.  Khosilintse  was 
the  head  of  the  party  of  the  Bakwena  who  reinstated  Sekhome 
as  chief  of  the  Bamangwato ;  and  he  returned  to  Sechele's 
without  the  loss  of  a  man,  but  driving  a  numerous  herd  of 


io8 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


Sekhome's  cattle,  which  was  the  reward  of  his  services. 
Macheng  at  first  fled  in  the  direction  of  Moselekatse,  and 
begged  help  from  his  former  master  in  the  recovery  of  his 
lost  chieftainship.  Moselekatse  refused  his  aid  ;  so  Macheng 
fell  back  first  on  Selekas,  to  the  east  of  Shoshong,  and 
finally  was  received  by  Sechele,  the  very  man  who  had  driven 
him  from  his  home. 

Before  his  banishment,  Sekhome  had  desired  his  eldest  son 
to  take  to  wife  a  daughter  of  Pelutona ;  but  Khame  had 
conceived  a  dislike  to  this  person  and  refused.  On  their 
return  to  the  place,  Sekhome  recommended  him  to  marry  a 
daughter  of  Chukuru,  to  whom  they  owed  gratitude  for  his 
efforts  in  recalling  them  from  their  banishment.  Khame 
consented,  and  his  wife  has  proved  a  helpmeet  for  her 
husband  in  his  efforts  to  shake  himself  loose  from  heathenism, 
and  not  a  hindrance,  as  is  sometimes  the  case.  Khamane 
the  second  son  also  married  a  daughter  of  Chukuru,  with  the 
approbation  of  Sekhome.  This  person  never  went  through 
the  rite  initiating  into  heathen  womanhood ;  nor  was  she 
bought  from  her  father  according  to  the  old  custom.  These 
things  vexed  Sekhome ;  but  Chukuru  said,  if  the  young 
people  had  believed  the  Word  of  God,  he  would  never  be  a 
party  to  compelling  them  to  go  through  the  usual  customs  of 
their  ancestors. 

About  fourteen  months  ago  our  prospects  in  this  place 
were  of  the  most  cheering  description.  Besides  the  services 
in  the  church  on  the  Sabbath,  Mr  Price  and  I  conducted  three 
schools  in  different  parts  of  this  large  town,  whose  inhabitants 
we  computed  as  being  at  least  30,000.  We  taught  the  two 
district  schools  three  days  in  the  week,  and  had  an  attendance 
of  about  30  children  and  adults.  We  employed  about  8 
natives  as  assistants  at  these  schools,  amongst  whom  were 
six  sons  of  Sekhome,  three  of  whom  were  competent  teachers 
of  elementary  classes,  and  very  diligent  in  their  work.  The 
other  two  days  we  taught  in  the  church,  and  here  endeavoured 
to  ground  these  assistants,  their  wives  and  others,  in  the 
elements  of  a  good  education.  Some  of  them  can  read  and 
write  their  own  language  well,  understand  a  little  of  arithmetic, 
have  a  general  idea  of  geography ;  and,  last  and  best  of  all,  are 
comparatively  familiar  with  the  New  Testament,  especially  the 
Gospels. 

Yielding  to  the  threats  and  entreaties  of  their  father,  two 
of  Sekhome's  sons  deserted  us  about  a  year  ago,  and  joined 


THE  FIRST  PERIOD  AT  SHOSHONG  109 


Sekhome  in  the  dances  and  other  customs  connected  with 
the  administration  of  the  rite  of  circumcision.  Sekhome  was 
angry  with  the  steadfastness  of  Khame  and  those  who  remained 
with  us  ;  and  by  and  by  threats  were  heard  that  unless  they 
also  succumbed,  their  father  would  kill  them.  Inasmuch  as 
Chukuru  did  not  go  the  same  length  as  Sekhome  in  his 
oppression,  and  doubtless  instigated  by  jealousy  against  him 
who  was  now  the  father-in-law  of  his  two  eldest  sons,  Sekhome 
began  to  launch  his  curses  and  his  threats  against  Chukuru 
also.  It  would  be  tedious  to  detail  the  course  of  this  persecu- 
tion and  oppression  on  the  part  of  Sekhome.  Suffice  it  to 
say,  that  so  far  as  Mr  Price  and  I  could  see,  the  conduct  of 
the  young  chiefs  was  all  that  we  could  desire.  This  was 
especially  true  in  the  case  of  Khame.  His  praises  were  in 
the  mouth  of  the  whole  tribe  for  his  skill  as  a  hunter,  his 
bravery  as  displayed  in  the  affair  with  the  Matabele,  and  his 
affability  to  all  in  the  town.  White  men  visiting  the  place 
were  equally  loud  in  their  praises  ;  he  never  begged  any- 
thing from  them ;  he  never  beat  them  down  in  their  prices ; 
he  was  always  polite  and  obliging.  And  these  opinions 
were  not  insincere ;  repeated  and  valuable  presents  testi- 
fied to  the  sincerity  of  their  respect  and  attachment  to 
Khame. 

Sekhome  was  jealous  of  Khame's  popularity  and  formed 
the  determination  of  bringing  him  entirely  over  to  heathenism. 
Although  the  daughter  of  Pelutona  had  been  given  to  another 
man  and  had  borne  to  him  two  children,  Sekhome  swore  that 
she  must  be  his  son's  head-wife ;  he  must  take  her  or  die. 
Khame  pleaded  that  he  was  a  Christian,  and  farther,  that  he 
never  liked  this  woman.  Sekhome  answered,  "  When  I 
sought  missionaries  for  you,  I  had  no  idea  that  their  teaching 
would  thwart  me  thus  ;  I  thought  you  would  just  be  taught 
to  read  and  write,  your  habits  remaining  unchanged.  But 
learn  this  :  whether  you  like  the  woman  or  not,  whether  you 
are  a  Christian  or  not,  I  am  your  father,  and  am  determined 
to  exact  obedience  to  my  wishes.  Either  you  or  I  must  be 
master ;  and  who  ever  heard  of  a  father  governed  by  his  own 
son  ?  What  could  I  say  to  Khari  and  the  rest  of  my  ancestors 
if  I  succumbed  to  my  own  child?"  "Father,  we  obey  you 
in  all  other  matters ;  we  hunt  the  elephant  and  you  get  the 
tusks ;  we  kill  the  giraffe  and  the  eland,  and  you  get  the 
meat  and  the  hide  :  wherein  do  we  defraud  you  of  your  right 
as  our  father  ?    Only  in  matters  connected  with  the  Word  of 


no  JOHN  MACKENZIE 


God  we  cannot  obey  you ;  we  fear  God,  and  would  rather 
die." 

Such  is  a  specimen  of  repeated  conversations  between 
Sekhome  and  his  sons.  On  the  one  side  there  was  anger 
and  vindictiveness ;  on  the  other  firmness  and  gentleness. 

About  three  months  ago  Sekhome  thought  to  thicken  his 
plot  by  bringing  missionaries  into  it.  I  had  five  men  from 
him  hired  for  a  year,  the  wages  of  each  to  be  a  heifer.  When 
six  months  had  transpired  and  my  new  dwelling-house  was 
nearly  finished,  Sekhome  made  his  appearance  and  demanded 
the  heifers.  Their  work  was  done,  the  house  was  finished." 
I  reminded  him  of  the  engagement,  the  5'ear  was  only  half 
expired.  He  did  not  contradict  me,  but  doggedly  demanded 
the  heifers.  Of  course  I  could  only  refuse,  as  it  would  have 
been  a  most  pernicious  precedent.  The  chief  went  away 
swearing  by  a  whole  list  of  his  forefathers  that  he  would  take 
the  heifers  himself.  He  at  once  removed  every  girl  or  boy 
in  the  employment  of  Price  or  myself,  and  this  threat  with 
reference  to  the  heifers  was  soon  put  into  execution,  the  day 
selected  being  a  Sunday.  On  leaving  church  that  day, 
Khame  was  informed  by  his  father  that  he  had  now  paid 
himself  by  taking  six  of  Mackenzie's  cows.  Khame  and 
Khamane  (who  had  charge  of  my  cows)  firmly  remonstrated 
with  Sekhome,  and  although  he  spoke  defiantly  at  the  first,  he 
finished  by  saying  he  would  return  the  cows  to  them,  seeing 
he  had  taken  them  from  their  post  without  their  knowledge. 
This  affair  has  not  yet  been  settled ;  I  have  offered  a  re- 
muneration for  the  six  months'  service  of  the  men,  more 
than  is  usually  given,  but  without  result.  The  chief  keeps 
this  matter  as  a  weapon  against  us.  Some  four  or  five  weeks 
ago,  Sekhome  resolved  to  bring  things  to  the  issue  of  a  fight. 
The  two  parties  lay  in  arms  the  whole  night.  Sekhome 
repeatedly  gave  orders  to  fire,  but  no  one  was  found  who 
would  obey.  He  himself  loaded  a  double-barrelled  rifle 
recently  purchased,  upon  which  Khame  said  to  him  :  "  You 
see  I  am  unarmed.  Fire  if  it  is  in  your  heart  to  do  so ; 
only  I  shall  not  fire  at  you  but  at  your  people."  Seeing  that 
general  sympathy  was  with  Khame,  Sekhome  ran  and  hid 
himself  in  his  own  back  premises,  shortly  afterwards  sending 
his  mother  to  plead  with  Khame,  assuring  him  that  he  should 
no  longer  desire  to  take  Pelutona's  daughter  or  to  take  a 
plurality  of  wives.  What  he  could  not  give  up  was  the  death 
of  Chukuru.    Khame  sent  Mogomotsi,  his  uncle,  to  say  to 


THE  FIRST  PERIOD  AT  SHOSHONG  iii 


Sekhome  that  they  had  no  wish  to  kill  their  father  and  that 
he  might  sleep  in  peace ;  only  they  could  not  consent  to  the 
death  of  Chukuru,  who  was  guilty  of  no  crime.  Although 
this  was  a  night  of  anxiety  to  us  as  missionaries  and  to  the 
Bamangwato,  it  passed  over  without  any  definite  result. 
Sekhome  was  not  able  to  carry  out  his  evil  intentions ;  and 
his  sons  were  too  forbearing  to  take  any  advantage  of  the 
power  they  possessed. 

Such  was  the  position  of  affairs  when  our  dear  friends  Mr 
and  Mrs  Price  started  for  a  brief  visit  to  Kuruman.  I  then 
took  occasion  to  write  to  Mr  Moffat,  that  although  the  young 
chiefs  were  at  that  time  possessed  of  power,  I  had  fears  that 
their  father  would  yet  out-manoeuvre  them.  And  this,  I  am 
very  sorry  to  say,  is  what  has  taken  place. 

Sekhome,  seeing  the  popularity  of  his  sons,  had  made 
some  secret  overtures  to  his  brother  Macheng  to  return  to 
the  Bamangwato,  thinking  that  together  their  men  would  be 
more  than  a  match  for  their  opponents.  This  step  on  the 
part  of  Sekhome  alienated  the  affections  of  many  of  his 
most  trusted  men,  for  in  the  coming  of  Macheng  they  saw 
a  change  of  dynasty ;  they  were  assured  that  the  chiefs 
cattle,  of  which  many  of  them  were  herds,  would  be  taken 
from  them  by  Macheng,  and  given  to  his  own  men,  who 
had  been  his  companions  in  exile. 

Sekhome  was  far  from  being  sincere  in  his  conciliatory 
promises  to  his  sons.  He  now  put  forth  his  best  efforts, 
not  only  as  chief,  but  as  sorcerer,  to  alienate  the  affections 
of  his  people  from  his  sons.  To  one  he  was  generous 
and  kind,  and  profuse  in  his  promises  of  future  benefits  : 
to  another  stern  and  severe,  mysteriously  threatening  awful 
calamity  to  those  who  opposed  his  wishes ;  while  to  a 
third  he  represented  his  sons  as  now  bereft  of  all  judg- 
ment and  prudence  as  the  result  of  his  enchantments. 
His  sorceries  and  charms  were  in  constant  use.  An  ugly 
bit  of  wood  was  always  in  the  chief's  hand,  and  supposed 
to  convey  great  blessings  to  him,  and  great  disadvantages 
to  such  of  his  adversaries  as  he  might  chance  to  meet  or 
address.  A  little  of  it  was  bit  off  every  morning  by 
Sekhome,  so  that  when  he  greeted  his  people  their  hearts 
might  be  drawn  out  in  love  towards  him.  Then  medi- 
cines were  continually  scattered  in  the  young  chiefs'  dwell- 
ings and  in  the  paths  which  they  frequented.  Sekhome 
even   went    the  length   of  asking  two  Englishmen  who 


I  12 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


arrived  here  a  few  weeks  ago  for  some  strychnine,  or  wolf- 
poison,  as  it  is  sometimes  called  in  this  country.  It  is 
certain  he  did  not  want  this  for  the  purpose  he  mentioned ; 
and  it  is  presumed  that  he  had  formed  the  diabolical  pur- 
pose of  poisoning  his  sons  or  their  friends.  But  whatever 
were  his  wishes,  they  were  never  reduced  to  execution,  for 
the  Englishmen  refused  to  give  him  the  poison. 

I  had  resumed  the  school  for  about  a  week,  and  was 
pleased  with  the  new  faces  there  in  the  alphabet  class,  as 
well  as  with  the  diligence  of  our  old  scholars,  when  on  the 
evening  of  Thursday,  8th  March,  Khame  came  up  to  me 
hurriedly  and  said  he  had  just  learned  that  his  father  had 
made  all  his  arrangements,  and  that  he  and  his  brothers 
were  to  be  surrounded  that  night  and  to  be  put  to  death. 
It  would  seem  that  this  bloody  piece  of  work  was  given  by 
Sekhome  to  the  Matabele  refugees  who  are  in  this  town, 
and  who  number  some  14  or  16.  Khame  met  Lingake, 
their  leader,  after  nightfall,  and  after  some  hesitation  he 
admitted  that  such  were  the  orders  from  Sekhome.  The 
old  chief  had  stolen  a  march  on  his  sons.  His  men  filled  the 
crooked  little  paths  at  the  back  of  Khame's  houses ;  thus  he 
could  take  up  no  position  there,  for  it  was  in  the  hands  of  his 
enemies.  He  determined,  however,  to  rescue  his  own  rifle ; 
and  having  done  so,  retired  with  his  men  to  the  neighbour- 
hood of  the  church  built  by  the  Germans  here,  but  never 
finished ;  and  which  is  now  a  ruin.  Mr  K  ,  an  English- 
man, had  a  small  shop  close  to  this  building,  and  here  the 
young  chiefs  received  their  men  and  gave  their  orders  during 
the  whole  night.  The  women  and  children  were  removed 
from  the  town  during  the  night,  Khame's  friends  climbing 
the  eastern,  his  father's  adherents  the  western  side  of  the 
kloof.  Mrs  Mackenzie  and  the  children  retired  to  rest, 
and  I  believe  slept  soundly  enough.  Their  slumbers  were, 
however,  rudely  and  suddenly  disturbed  by  the  report  of 
firearms  given  in  volleys.  It  was  barely  dawn  of  day,  so 
we  roused  the  children  and  put  on  their  clothes,  not  know- 
ing what  might  happen.  From  all  parts  of  the  kloof  were 
heard  the  sharp  crack  of  the  rifles,  and  deeper  reports  of 
guns  of  a  wider  bore.  The  natives  never  stint  the  powder ; 
it  is  thrown  from  the  horn  into  the  hand  by  guess,  and 
thence  into  the  gun,  so  that  the  noise  produced  in  this 
narrow  kloof  in  the  morning  in  question  was  really  very 
great.     The  firing,  we  afterwards  learned,  was  begun  by 


THE  FIRST  PERIOD  AT  SHOSHONG  113 


Pelutona's  people,  perhaps  from  a  feeling  that  they  ought 
to  speak  out  first,  seeing  it  was  their  daughter  whom  Khame 
refused.  The  young  chiefs'  ranks  were  so  thin  that  they 
would  have  willingly  postponed  the  fight.  However,  after 
having  been  fired  at,  they  had  no  alternative.  Khame  him- 
self fired  the  first  shots  on  his  side,  which  was  the  signal 
for  those  volleys  which  we  have  referred  to.  Our  house 
is  some  little  distance  from  the  nearest  huts,  so  that  no 
firing  took  place  in  our  immediate  proximity.  The  small 
hill  which  is  opposite  our  dwelling  was  occupied  by  some 
of  Sekhome's  men,  who  fired  into  the  part  of  the  mountain 
above  Chukuru's  town,  which  was  occupied  by  Chukuru  and 
his  men.  Then  two  men  mounted  the  hill  at  the  back  of 
our  house,  and  fired  a  few  shots  across  the  kloof.  It  was  a 
singular  spectacle  as  seen  from  the  hill  between  Mr  Price's 
house  and  my  own.  The  old  church  was  held  during  Friday 
by  about  15  men  belonging  to  Khame  against  3  large 
parties  of  Sekhome's  men.  A  constant  fire  was  kept  up  by 
Khame  and  Khamane  and  part  of  their  men,  from  the 
mountains  opposite  the  khotla  and  Pelutona's  Town.  But 
altho'  an  immense  quantity  of  powder  and  lead  was  dis- 
posed of,  our  first  fears  as  to  the  number  of  casualties 
from  such  a  galling  fire  were  allayed,  when  we  came  to  learn 
that  on  Khame's  side  not  one  was  killed  after  that  whole 
day's  firing,  and  only  four  wounded  on  Sekhome's  side.  We 
have  ourselves  seen  two  dead  bodies  lying  exposed,  one  of 
which  was  of  a  woman,  shot  while  drawing  water  for  the 
men  who  were  fighting  behind  the  cover  of  the  huts.  I 
learned  that  two  or  three  of  the  Englishmen  at  present 
on  the  place  had  got  involved  in  the  fray,  having  shot 
for  a  time  on  Khame's  side.  Their  shop  was  so  near  the 
church,  that  they  and  their  property  stood  in  danger  from 
guns  in  the  natives'  hands,  altho'  they  were  aimed  at 
the  church.    A  ball  passed  through  one  of  the  waggons 

while  young  K          was  asleep  in  it ;  another  passed  C's 

head  as  he  went  behind  the  church  for  protection.  Those, 
however,  who  had  fired  a  few  shots,  as  they  say,  in  self- 
defence,  made  their  way  to  my  house,  where  they  were  in 
safety ;  only  one  of  them  stayed  in  charge  of  the  goods,  and 
I  am  happy  to  say  no  accident  befell  him. 

The  firing  was  continued  on  Saturday,  altho'  not  with 
such  vigour ;  and  on  Sunday  it  was  all  but  silent.  I  liad 
a  sad  prospect  before  me  on  that  Sabbath  morning,  the 

H 


114  JOHN  MACKENZIE 


town  in  possession  of  the  enemy  of  the  Gospel,  its  friends 
compelled  to  take  refuge  on  the  mountain  top.  How- 
ever, my  course  was  plain ;  I  knew  where  I  could  obtain  a 
willing  and  attentive  audience,  and  resolved  to  climb  the 
mountain  to  minister  to  those  who,  I  felt  assured,  would 
welcome  both  my  message  and  myself.  The  chief  con- 
sented to  my  going,  so  I  went  up  and  held  a  short  service 
with  my  friends  who  stood  around,  not,  alas  !  with  Testa- 
ment and  hymn-book  in  hand,  but  with  gun  and  spear 
and  shield.  I  learned  that  they  regarded  the  affair  as 
decided  for  the  present,  and  against  themselves.  How- 
ever they  were  not  without  hope.  A  dissension  might 
arise  in  the  camp  of  their  enemies.  Some  of  their  people 
whose  services  they  had  not  been  able  to  secure  in  con- 
sequence of  the  shortness  of  the  notice  which  they  received, 
might  join  their  ranks.  At  anyrate  they  would  hold  their 
own  in  the  meantime,  and  leave  the  future  with  God.  It 
had  been  reported  with  great  glee,  by  Sekhome's  party,  that 
Mogomotsi  was  shot  while  cUmbing  the  hill.  I  was  glad 
to  see  him  at  the  service,  and  to  learn  from  his  own  lips 
that  he  was  not  even  wounded.  Upon  my  coming  down 
in  the  afternoon,  Sekhome  took  occasion  to  refer  to  my 
refusing  to  give  him  the  heifers,  and  said  that  I  was  quite 
on  Khame's  and  Chukuru's  side.  I  told  him  I  was  no 
party  to  their  quarrels,  it  being  my  duty  to  remain  unen- 
tangled  with  such  affairs.  At  the  same  time  I  said  I  felt 
I  could  not  but  tell  him  that  in  my  opinion  Khame  was 
innocent,  entirely  so.  Whether  it  was  genuine  or  affected, 
the  chief  answered  with  great  emotion  :  "  I  am  glad  you 
spoke  that  word,  Monare ;  Khame  is  my  own  son,  my  pro- 
vider, during  all  these  years ;  truly  he  is  blameless.  The 
blame  is  with  Chukuru  and  Khamane." 

I  have  twice  visited  Khame's  camp  since  that  first  Sabbath 
morning.  He  looks  weary,  but  far  from  despairing.  He 
hopes  to  occupy  the  kloof  yet,  although  it  may  be  some 
time  before  he  is  able  to  do  so.  He  thinks  that  even  in 
his  present  position  his  followers  will  have  freedom,  and 
the  force  of  his  example  in  attending  to  the  claims  of  the 
Gospel ;  and  in  this  opinion  I  agree  with  him.  At  the 
same  time  Sekhome  views  my  presence  here  with  no  favour, 
and  he  is  jealous  of  my  visits  to  the  mountain.  Even  to- 
day, it  seems,  he  told  a  trader  that  he  was  about  to  drive 
away  all  white  men,  missionaries  and  all ;  and  that  the  Word 


THE  FIRST  PERIOD  AT  SHOSHONG  115 


of  God  was  the  cause  of  the  present  war.  Of  course  that 
is  a  threat  which  he  is  not  Hkely  to  try  to  carry  out. 
While  I  write  (midnight),  my  premises  are  surrounded  by 
armed  men  who  are  on  the  look-out  for  messengers  to  us 
from  the  young  chief's  camp.  However,  we  shall  do  our 
best  not  to  offend  Sekhome,  and  wait  for  the  dawning  of 
a  better  day.  We  shall  be  as  assiduous  as  possible  in  our 
ministrations  to  Khame's  party ;  and  should  the  town  be 
permanently  separated,  which  is  not  likely,  we  hope  to 
resume  our  labours  among  those  who  follow  Sekhome. 

In  a  review  of  this  affair,  it  must  be  gratifying  to  you,  as 
it  is  to  us,  to  witness  the  forbearance  with  which  Sekhome 
has  been  treated  by  his  sons.  In  olden  times  the  sons  of 
both  Zulu  and  Bechuana  chiefs  were  not  of  this  spirit,  but 
were  swift  in  revenge ;  and  a  troublesome  father  was  not 
reckoned  a  very  formidable  adversary.  Let  us  cherish  the 
hope,  and  offer  up  the  prayer  that  they  whose  cause  is 
just,  and  who,  in  exercising  great  Christian  forbearance, 
have  been  worsted  by  the  heathen  wiles  of  their  father, 
may  enjoy  the  presence  of  God's  comforting  spirit  in  their 
adversity ;  and  that  that  adversity  may  speedily  come  to 
an  end. — I  remain,  etc.,  John  Mackenzie. 

Shoshong,  3r</ July  1866. 

Rev.  Dr  Tidman. 

Rev.  and  Dear  Sir, — I  have  to  acknowledge  receipt  of 
your  favor  of  the  9th  January. 

My  last  to  you,  dated  on  the  19th  March,  contained  an 
account  of  the  rupture  which  had  shortly  before  taken  place 
in  this  town  between  Sekhome  and  his  sons.  I  intend  at 
present  to  continue  the  history  of  that  disturbance,  and  to 
give  you  some  idea  of  the  present  state  of  the  town. 

Khame  occupied  the  stronghold  on  the  mountain  referred 
to  in  my  last,  from  the  12  th  of  March  to  the  17  th  of  April. 
At  first  each  party  was  content  to  hold  its  own,  and  no  real 
engagement  took  place,  but  for  the  last  eight  days  of  that 
period  Khame's  position  was  besieged  by  his  father,  who  also 
set  numerous  guards  at  all  the  waters  in  the  vicinity,  for  the 
purpose  of  preventing  Khame  from  procuring  water  either 
for  himself  or  for  his  cattle.  Twice  did  the  forces  of  Sekhome 
try  to  take  the  mountain  by  storm,  and  were  each  time  re- 
pulsed ;  but  thirst  eventually  compelled  Khame  to  submit  to 
his  father's  terms,  which  were  that  he  must  return  to  the 


Ii6  JOHN  MACKENZIE 


town  with  his  people.  It  being  known  that  Chukuru  and 
some  others  had  no  prospect  of  mercy  from  Sekhome,  a  party 
was  formed  under  Khamane  of  such  as  agreed  to  flee  for  refuge 
to  Sechele.  These  having  taken  their  departure  in  the 
darkness  of  night,  Khame  and  his  party  descended  from 
their  fastness  next  morning  and  entered  the  town. 

An  event  which  seemed  to  irritate  Sekhome  and  his  party 
more  than  any  other,  took  place  about  a  fortnight  after 
Khame  left  the  town.  Sekhome  conceived  that  his  un- 
expected victory  over  his  sons  had  been  brought  about  by 
means  of  his  charms  and  his  medicines ;  at  any  rate,  he  gave 
out  that  such  was  the  case.  Persevering  in  the  use  of  so 
trusted  an  auxiliary,  the  chief  prepared  a  large  quantity  of 
medicines,  sufficient  to  fill  a  tsessebe  skin,  and  despatched 
in  the  night  four  men  with  this  wondrous  burden,  which  they 
were  instructed  to  throw  into  the  water  drunk  by  Khame 
and  his  people.  Whether  the  contents  of  the  bag  were 
poisonous  or  merely  charms,  I  am  unable  to  say.  I 
believe  the  men  themselves  were  "  charmed "  before  pro- 
ceeding on  this  weird  expedition,  when  it  was  said  to  them, 
"  Go  !  It  will  be  dark  wherever  you  are,  no  one  shall  see 
you,  nothing  shall  harm  you."  But,  alas  for  witchcraft ! 
the  young  chiefs'  men  in  charge  of  the  fountain  that  night 
heard  the  cautious  footsteps  of  their  midnight  visitors,  and 
reserving  their  fire  till  their  enemies  were  close  to  them,  the 
bearer  of  the  medicine  was  killed  on  the  spot.  He  was 
found  next  morning  with  the  tsessebe  skin  above  him. 
Nothing  could  exceed  the  vexation  and  rage  which  this 
event  produced  in  the  town. 

And  strange  to  say,  instead  of  directing  their  wrath 
against  their  opponents,  it  seemed  to  find  vent  in  bitter 
speeches  against  the  white  people  on  the  place,  and  espe- 
cially against  myself.  What  did  the  traders  want  with 
so  much  ammunition  ? "  And  they  were  sure  they  had 
helped  Khame ;  and,  as  for  me,  they  were  sure  I  did  not 
go  up  the  mountain  for  any  good  on  Sundays.  If  I  preached 
from  the  Word  of  God  merely,  well,  then  the  Word  of  God 
itself  was  bad,  and  was  the  cause  of  all  the  strife.  So  loud 
was  the  talk  against  me  that  an  Enghsh  gentleman  thought 
it  his  duty  to  repair  to  my  household  one  Sunday  morning 
to  warn  me  against  the  risk  of  going  up  the  mountain  again. 
A  native  woman  also  came  to  me  in  secret  and  told  me  that 
my  death  had  been  loudly  demanded  by  Sekhome's  mother 


THE  FIRST  PERIOD  AT  SHOSHONG  117 


and  one  or  two  head-men.  Others  proposed  to  whip  me 
well,  take  my  property  from  me,  and  send  me  away.  This 
discussion  was  overheard  by  my  informant's  mother,  who 
was  in  the  employ  of  Khame's  mother.  Altho'  hooted  and 
called  by  very  disreputable  names,  and  altho'  very  sulkily 
received  by  Sekhome  himself,  I  continued  to  get  his  re- 
luctant consent  to  my  going  to  preach  to  the  poor  people 
on  the  mountain,  and  did  so  to  the  last.  My  visits  were 
always  looked  forward  to  by  the  little  flock.  As  soon  as  I 
could  see  their  features  I  could  see  a  smile  of  welcome 
already  there.  I  had  a  better  congregation  on  these  occa- 
sions than  we  have  had  on  our  usual  worship  since  Sekhome 
began  the  present  system  of  opposition.  As  time  wore  on 
this  bitterness  diminished,  and  I  was  able  to  go  from  one 
camp  to  the  other  with  fewer  insults,  and  at  last  had  the 
happiness  of  doing  something  towards  bringing  about  peace. 
Not  being  conscious  of  having  wronged  any  one  in  the  town, 
I  felt  pretty  sure  no  one  would  harm  me.  One  Sunday 
while  I  was  taking  leave  of  Khame  on  the  brow  of  the  hill, 
a  man  belonging  to  Sekhome's  party  got  into  position  for 
taking  a  "  dead  aim  "  at  some  of  us,  laying  his  gun  over  an 
anthill  and  remaining  in  that  position  for  a  good  while.  At 
last  he  rose  without  firing  and  went  away.  I  was  told  after- 
wards that  as  soon  as  I  descended  he  came  back  to  the 
same  place,  and  f/ien  did  fire.  On  another  occasion  Piet 
Jacobs,  a  Boer  from  the  Transvaal,  having  business  with 
Khame,  got  permission  from  Sekhome  to  pay  the  latter  a 
visit.  On  reappearing  at  the  brow  of  the  hill  he  was  fired 
at,  as  well  as  his  two  companions,  and  the  firing  was  con- 
tinued while  they  slowly  led  their  horses  down  the  steep 
path.  They  were  unarmed,  and  certainly  those  who  levelled 
their  muskets  at  them  were  very  bad  shots,  for  they  in- 
variably missed  them,  altho'  not  further  than  200  or  300 
yds.  It  w'as  Ralitlari  who  was  guilty  of  this  cowardly  act, 
one  of  the  sons  of  Sekhome  who  were  persuaded  by  their 
father  to  give  up  attending  both  church  and  school. 

I  am  sorry  to  say  that  Sechele  has  been  so  cruel  and  so 
false  as,  first,  to  write  a  very  friendly  letter  to  Khame  and  the 
head-men  with  him,  promising  them  a  refuge  in  case  of 
emergency,  and  mentioning  by  name  Chukuru,  Khame's 
father-in-law ;  and  then,  as  soon  as  Khamane  and  Chukuru 
made  their  appearance  in  the  town,  to  put  the  latter  to 
death  under  circumstances  of  great  cruelty.    Altho'  Chukuru 


ii8  JOHN  MACKENZIE 


lived  and  died  a  heathen,  he  was  much  more  friendly  dis- 
posed towards  the  Gospel  than  Sekhome.  He  was  also  a 
man  of  abiUty,  and  in  rank  next  to  the  chief.  He  was 
invariably  kind  to  Mr  Price  and  myself. 

Altho'  active  warfare  was  brought  to  an  end  in  the  manner 
above  described,  Sekhome  would  not  be  satisfied,  would  not 
live  in  peace.  Khame  still  went  to  church,  still  read  the 
Bible,  and  until  he  gave  up  these  he  was  not  his  son.  Then 
in  May  a  new  element  of  discord  appeared  on  the  scene. 
When  Sekhome  believed  that  he  would  not  be  able  to  over- 
come Khame,  he  had  sent  in  his  desperation  to  his  brother 
Macheng  for  assistance.  Macheng  naturally  took  some  time 
to  consider  such  an  invitation,  which,  if  sincere,  was  equal  to 
an  abdication  of  the  chieftainship  on  the  part  of  Sekhome, 
for  Macheng  is  his  superior  according  to  the  native  way  of 
counting  rank.  While  Sekhome  and  his  sons  were  at  war, 
Macheng  remained  quiet  at  Sechele's,  where  he  has  been 
staying  for  some  years ;  but  as  soon  as  the  war  was  over,  he 
announced  his  intention  of  yielding  to  Sekhome's  request. 
I  have  no  doubt  that  Sekhome  was  sorry  that  he  had  ever 
made  such  a  request,  but  he  could  not  recall  it  ;  so  Macheng 
came.  He  was  told  in  plain  terms  while  at  Sechele's,  that 
he  would  be  expected  to  put  Khame  and  the  rest  of  Sek- 
home's enemies  to  death.  But  instead  of  this,  as  soon  as 
he  entered  the  town  he  made  Khame  his  friend  ;  and  now 
Sekhome  is  at  his  wits'  end,  for  into  the  pit  which  he  dug 
for  his  own  son,  it  is  not  at  all  impossible  that  he  may 
himself  fall.  Those  who  know  both  Macheng  and  Sekhome 
say  that  it  will  be  impossible  for  them  to  agree  together,  but 
whether  they  will  fight  or  quietly  separate,  the  future  must 
disclose.  Macheng  expresses  himself  at  present  as  favour- 
able to  our  work,  but  whether  he  would  continue  so  had  he 
full  power  as  chief,  is  alas  !  a  question. 

We  hope  that  those  who  continue  true  to  Christ  in  this 
town,  in  this  present  distressing  circumstances,  will  form  a 
good  nucleus  for  that  church  which  we  trust  our  Lord  will 
yet  graciously  build  amongst  the  Bamangwato. — I  am,  ever 
yours  truly,  John  Mackenzie. 

Oiie  of  the  most  thrilling  events  in  this  story 
of  jealousy  and  intrigue,  as  well  as  of  Christian  for- 
bearance and  nobility  of  spirit,  occurred  as  the  result 
of  Macheng's  presence  in  the  town.    Sekhome's  bitter 


THE  FIRST  PERIOD  AT  SHOSHONG  119 


self-seeking  could  brook  the  domineering  presence  of 
Macheng  as  little  as  the  Christian  disobedience  of  his 
own  sons.    The  result  was  that  the  crafty  and  cunning 
chief  began  to  plot  against  the  man  whom  he  had 
invited  to  take  his  place  among  the  Bamangwato. 
When  on  a  certain  day  he  found  his  own  friends  so 
reduced  in  numbers  and  so  sunk  in  cowardice  that 
they  would  not  smite  his  enemies,  even  after  he  had 
given   the  signal   in   the   public   courtyard,  nothing 
remained  for  him  but  an  ignominious  flight.  That 
evening  a  sudden  and  strange  excitement  was  observ- 
able among  the  natives  on  the  mission  premises  ;  there 
was  a  furtive    pointing  of  the  finger   towards  the 
mountain,  and  a  whispering  in  the  ear,  and  a  rushing 
from  one  group  to  another  ;  men  hardly  dared  to  look 
at  a  solitary  figure  climbing  down  the  rocks  behind 
Mackenzie's  house  ;  and  yet  all  were  fascinated,  for 
it  was  Sekhome  !     He  had  often  threatened  to  take 
Mackenzie's  life  ;  he  had  opposed  with  deep  hatred 
Mackenzie's  Christian  influence  ;  he  had  tried  to  cheat 
him  in  the  affairs  of  business  ;  he  had  been  wont  to 
malign  him  amongst  his  head-men.    But  on  this  night, 
when  every  man's  hand  was  against  him,   and  he 
was  a  fugitive  from  his  own  people,  a  man  doomed 
to  death,  there  seemed  to  him  no  safer  spot  in  the 
world  or  more  attractive  than  Mackenzie's  own  house. 
Once  more  he  sat  at  the  fireside  of  the  faithful 
missionary,  who  earnestly  pled  with  him  to  trust  in 
the  love  and  loyalty  of  his  sons,  and  to  cease  from 
listening  to  the  evil  counsel  of  bad  men.     Late  in  the 
night  he  departed,  was  joined  by  a  little  group  of 
faithful    followers,    and   fled   for  a   distant   town  a 
humiliated  refugee. 

In  1867  Mackenzie  undertook  the  building  of  a 
church.  Hitherto  his  preaching  had  been  conducted 
in  the  open  air,  which  was  indeed  in  accordance  with 
the  only  possible  native  practice  ;  but  he  knew  that 


120  JOHN  MACKENZIE 


the  best  results  could  not  be  obtained  until  some  one 
place  was  set  apart  as  the  spiritual  home  of  the 
Christian  people.  He  tried,  of  course,  to  erect  his 
church  with  the  least  possible  expense,  especially  as 
he  had  not  waited  for  the  formal  approval  of  his 
project  by  the  Directors.  He  planned  a  building  of 
60  ft.  by  24  ft.,  and  it  was  one  ambition  of  his  heart 
that  it  should  have  lancet  instead  of  square  windows, 
the  frames  for  which  he  made  with  his  own  hands. 
The  following  brief  account  of  this  work  again  fails  to 
do  justice  to  the  extraordinary  amount  of  personal 
labour  and  deep  anxiety  in  which  Mackenzie  found 
himself  involved  before  the  building  was  completed. 

Shoshong,  December  1867. 

Rev.  J.  Mullens,  D.D. 

Dear  Brother, — I  beg  to  forward  a  statement  of 
accounts  connected  v/ith  the  new  church  here  up  to  this 
date.  The  mason's  charges  were  very  moderate,  carpenter 
work  costs  nothing ;  altho'  no  carpenter,  I  have  managed 
the  wood-work  myself.  The  felling,  sawing,  and  adzing  of 
timber  was  done  by  natives  of  the  place  under  my  own 
superintendence.  Some  were  hired  for  the  articles  mentioned 
in  the  account ;  others  worked  a  stipulated  time  for  repairs 
to  the  locks  of  their  guns.  I  was  glad  to  do  anything  so  as 
to  lessen  expense.  M.,  after  living  quietly  and  steadily  in 
our  household  for  about  ten  months,  managed  to  procure 
some  brandy  from  a  trader,  got  very  drunk,  abused  all  and 
sundry,  then  got  ashamed  and  asked  his  pay  before  finishing 
the  plastering  and  flooring,  and  took  his  departure.  I  am  at 
present  busy  finishing  the  plastering,  and  hope  our  church 
will  be  open  for  worship  the  first  Sunday  of  1868.  You  will 
notice  with  pleasure  that  Mr  Stewart,  a  trader  in  ostrich 
feathers,  etc.,  who  was  engaged  to  lay  half  of  the  bricks, 
returned  one  half  of  his  pay,  ;^i5,  as  his  subscription  to 
the  church.  I  ought  to  mention  that  besides  this  subscrip- 
tion I  received  from  both  natives  and  Europeans  considerable 
assistance  in  the  loan  of  waggons  and  oxen,  etc. 

I  have  already  drawn  on  the  Society  ;^45  for  church 
building;  and  ^27,  12s.  2d.  remain  due.  Our  friends 
in  Scotland  will  give  a  little  for  this  object.     Beyond  this 


THE  FIRST  PERIOD  AT  SHOSHONG  121 


I  know  no  other  quarter  where  help  can  be  expected. 
It  is  true  I  have  drawn  the  ;^45  without  your  sanction ; 
but  then  I  did  not  know  of  our  Society's  pecuniary  diffi- 
culties when  I  began  to  build.  We  must  have  a  church 
here ;  and  the  one  now  built  is,  I  believe,  suitable  and 
substantial.  I  hope  to  hear  from  you  on  the  subject,  for 
it  will  be  necessary  to  draw  the  ^27  pounds  soon. 

With  reference  to  our  boys'  subscriptions,  Willie  was  the 
fortunate  possessor  of  ofie  ox  from  a  cow  which  I  gave  him 
some  time  ago.  We  thought  he  ought  to  learn  early  to  be 
unselfish  and  liberal,  and  laid  the  matter  before  him.  It 
was  not  without  an  effort  that  he  said  he  would  give 
"  Welshman "  his  much  valued  ox ;  but  his  mind  once 
made  up,  he  seemed  happy  in  his  deed.  Then  Johnnie 
burst  into  tears  "because  he  had  no  ox  like  Willie."  He 
had  only  a  year-old  calf,  and  it  so  went  to  my  heart  that 
I  effected  an  "  exchange  "  with  Johnnie  on  the  spot,  giving 
him  a  young  ox  for  his  calf.  It  was  thus  that  our  boys  were 
able  to  give  ^10  for  the  new  church. 

In  attendance,  the  church  is  steadily  improving,  and  a 
good  many  from  the  ranks  of  heathenism  are  learning  to 
read. — I  remain,  ever  yours  sincerely,     John  Mackenzie. 

On  the  completion  of  the  church  Mackenzie 
resolved  to  make  the  day  of  its  opening  and  dedica- 
tion one  that  should  be  remembered  in  Shoshong. 
This  great  feast  day  he  has  described  in  detail  and 
v^ith  great  sense  of  humour  in  his  book.^  Throughout 
these  years  of  building  operations  Mackenzie  was 
carrying  on  his  missionary  work  as  best  he  could. 
The  wide  range  and  variety  of  his  relations  to  the 
people  undoubtedly  strengthened  his  grip  upon  the 
town,  for  they  had  come  to  know  him  not  only  as  the 
teacher,  but  as  the  practical,  strong-willed  worker  and 
master  of  men.  His  personality  created  an  impression 
which  is  best  illustrated  by  one  significant  fact. 
Europeans,  who  resided  in  those  regions  knew  that  the 
natives  had  nicknames  for  them.  These  nicknames 
were  often  based  upon  some  physical  peculiarity,  and 

^  "  Ten  Years  North  of  the  Orange  River,"  pp.  461  ff. 


122 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


were  very  seldom  used  in  the  presence  of  Europeans ; 
and  hence  they  were  rarely  discovered.  Some  of 
them  were  very  apt  and  very  amusing.  Mackenzie 
never  knew  what  his  nickname  was,  until  told,  late 
in  life,  by  one  of  his  sons,  who  discovered  it  while 
moving  one  day  among  the  workmen  on  a  building  at 
Shoshong.  The  boy  suddenly  heard  the  lazy  fellows 
who  had  been  loafing,  calling  each  other  to  work. 
They  pointed  across  the  open  to  a  solitary  figure 
moving  rapidly  and  powerfully  toward  them.  He 
had  broad  shoulders,  a  tawny  beard,  strong,  clear 
eyes,  a  deep  voice  that  could  shake  a  native  defaulter 
to  the  heart.  As  they  pointed  they  spoke  of  "him," 
pointed  out  how  "  he"  walked,  admiringly  praised 
"his"  strength.  The  secret  was  out.  They  were 
speaking  in  the  tones  and  phrases  used  by  natives 
of  a  lion.  "  Tau"  (lion)  was  Mackenzie's  nickname, 
and  "  Tau"  was  his  reputation  among  them. 

In  the  year  1867  South  Africa  and  the  world  in 
general  were  startled  by  the  announcement  that  a 
certain  traveller,  Captain  Mauch,  had  found  gold  in 
the  district  of  Tati,  in  the  north-east  part  of  the 
Bamangwato  country.  At  once  there  began  a  move- 
ment of  white  people  in  that  direction.  The  rumour 
spread  that  it  was  alluvial  gold  which  was  being  found 
there,  and  that  would  have  resulted,  of  course,  in  a  great 
and  sudden  rush  of  gold-seekers  ;  but,  as  it  ultimately 
turned  out,  gold  in  paying  quantities  could  only  be 
found  in  quartz.  While  this  point  was  still  under 
investigation  the  news  that  gold  in  any  form  had  been 
found,  led  to  the  formation  of  prospecting  parties  and 
companies.  Three  separate  claims  to  the  sovereignty 
of  the  gold  region  were  immediately  set  up  by 
Macheng,  Moselekatse,  and  the  Transvaal  Govern- 
ment respectively.  The  last  named,  in  the  year 
1868,  sent  Commandant  Jan  Viljoen  as  a  commis- 
sioner to   Moselekatse,  ostensibly  to  negotiate  with 


THE  FIRST  PERIOD  AT  SHOSHONG  123 


him  for  possession  of  the  coveted  district.  While 
Viljoen  was  engaged  in  this  formal  embassy  the  two 
native  chiefs  were  discussing  their  own  claims.  Mosele- 
katse  claimed  that  he  had  conquered  all  that  terri- 
tory even  down  to  Shoshong.  This  preposterous 
assumption  was  met  by  Macheng,  chief  of  the  Bamang- 
wato,  with  the  facts  that  his  people  had  never  been 
conquered,  and  that,  while  a  certain  tribe  whom  the 
Matabele  had  conquered  had  lived  in  that  part  of  the 
Tati  district,  the  entire  district  had  always  been  used 
by  Macheng's  people,  without  dispute  or  disturbance, 
as  their  hunting-ground  and  a  valuable  grazing  country 
for  their  cattle.  Mackenzie  thoroughly  believed  that 
the  weight  of  the  argument  was  very  clearly  in  favour 
of  Macheng.  The  prospect  of  an  inrush  of  gold-seekers 
roused  him  to  explain  to  the  chief  all  that  such  an 
event  must  mean  to  his  country.  The  matter  was 
gone  over  in  one  long  conversation  after  another,  until 
Macheng  clearly  understood  that  if  the  gold-fields 
proved  rich  there  would  grow  up  within  his  dominion 
a  large  town  of  white  men,  most  of  them  British 
citizens,  whom  he  would  be  utterly  unable  to  rule, 
and  who,  as  things  were,  would  be  beyond  the  control 
of  any  European  government.  He  received  from  his 
missionary  the  advice  that  he  should  immediately 
communicate  with  the  British  Government,  state  the 
facts  from  his  point  of  view,  and  invite  that  Govern- 
ment to  send  a  representative  who  should  be  a  ruler 
of  the  white  people  in  the  Bamangwato  country.  It 
was  of  course  reasonable  that  he  should  expect,  as 
the  chief  of  the  country,  to  have  some  share  in  what- 
ever wealth  the  gold-fields  were  likely  to  yield. 
Macheng  very  eagerly  agreed  to  this  policy,  and  on 
March  29th,  1868,  sent  a  letter  to  Sir  P.  E.  Wode- 
house,  at  that  time  Governor  of  the  Colony  of  the 
Cape  of  Good  Hope.  In  this  letter,  after  summarising 
the  facts  that  gold  had  been  discovered,  and  that  the 


124  JOHN  MACKENZIE 


gold  district  was  within  his  territory,  he  proceeded  to 
make  his  proposal  in  the  following  terms  : — 

Now  I  conceive  it  my  duty,  in  circumstances  of  such 
peculiar  importance,  to  seek  the  counsel  and  aid  of  Her 
Majesty's  Government.  The  Transvaal  Government,  through 
Commandant  Jan  Viljoen,  desires  me  to  hand  over  to  the 
Republic  the  district  in  question,  and  assures  me,  in  return, 
of  the  protection  of  the  Republic  should  the  gold-diggers 
molest  my  people.  I  shall  decline  to  consider  this  or  any 
other  overture,  until  I  hear  from  your  Excellency. 

I.  I  beg,  then,  humbly  to  submit  to  your  Excellency,  as 
Her  Majesty's  representative,  that  the  gold-field  or  fields  in 
the  Shashe  district  are  situated  in  the  country  which  belongs 
to  me,  as  chief  of  the  Bamangwato.  The  boundary  Hne 
between  my  country  and  that  of  Moselekatse  is  at  Makobe's 
old  town. 

II.  I  would  not  willingly  give  up  this  territory  without 
compensation. 

III.  Having,  however,  no  reason  to  believe  that  my  claims 
as  owner  of  the  district  in  question  would  be  ignored  by  Her 
Majesty's  Government,  I  beg  to  state  my  willingness  to  leave 
the  amount  of  compensation,  and  the  manner  of  its  payment, 
as  questions  for  future  settlement. 

IV.  Whilst  I  have  hithero  lived  on  terms  of  friendship 
with  English  visitors,  and  with  a  few  English  residents,  I  feel 
utterly  unqualified  to  govern  such  a  community  as  that  of 
gold-diggers  is  described  to  me  to  be.  May  it  please  your 
Excellency,  these  gold-diggers  are  your  people;  therefore  I 
invite  you,  and  I  beg  you,  to  come  and  occupy  the  gold 
country  so  far  as  it  is  at  my  disposal,  and  to  govern  the  gold- 
diggers,  in  the  name  of  the  Queen  of  England. 

Meanwhile,  and  until  I  hear  from  your  Excellency,  it  is 
my  intention  to  encourage  such  gold-diggers  as  make  their 
appearance,  by  granting  them  permits  to  dig,  at  a  nominal 
price,  by  enrolling  the  names  of  such  permit-holders,  and  by 
empowering  one  or  more  of  their  number  to  administer 
justice  in  the  gold-field.  And  these  steps  I  shall  take  in 
the  earnest  hope  that  speedily  my  weak  efforts  to  sustain  law 
and  order  amongst  British  subjects  may  be  superseded  by 
the  advent  of  the  power  of  England. 

In  an  accompanying  letter  Mackenzie  said  that  the 


THE  FIRST  PERIOD  AT  SHOSHONG  125 


Europeans  in  that  part  of  the  country  were,  to  a  man 
very  anxious  that  Macheng's  proposals  should  be 
accepted  and  acted  upon  without  delay.  He  pointed 
out  that  the  country  from  the  Orange  River  to  Shoshong 
was  occupied  by  tribes  who  were  favourable  to  the 
English,  and  he  believed  that  if  the  proposal  were 
made  to  them  by  one  in  whom  they  had  confidence, 
and  if  it  were  properly  explained  to  them,  even  those 
tribes  would  unanimously  vote  for  federation  with  the 
Colony.  Thus  early  had  this  missionary,  brooding  on 
the  problem  of  the  influx  and  amalgamation  of  the 
races  in  South  Africa,  come  to  believe  that  the  best 
thing  for  South  Africa,  the  best  thing  for  all  the  native 
tribes,  would  be  that  the  British  Government  should 
gradually  interpose  a  friendly  and  protective  power 
between  the  native  chiefs  and  the  shock  of  European 
immigration.  It  is,  in  the  light  of  subsequent  events, 
a  matter  of  interest  to  note,  that  at  this  time  Mackenzie 
believed  that  the  best  plan  would  be  to  strive  for  this 
development  of  Bechuanaland  through  the  Cape  Colony, 
by  means  of  some  connection  which  he  vaguely  de- 
scribes as  "  federation," 

The  excitement  over  the  gold-fields  involved  Mac- 
kenzie in  a  great  amount  of  anxious  and  sometimes 
exciting  discussion  and  correspondence.  He  was  used 
by  the  heads  of  distant  prospecting  companies  as  their 
best  source  of  information.  He  did  not  shrink  from 
doing  all  in  his  power  to  help  those  who  were  seeking 
most  rapidly  to  occupy  the  new  territory  ;  while  he 
was,  on  the  other  hand,  at  the  same  time  striving  to 
secure  for  them  the  best  possible  form  of  government. 
He  took  great  pains  to  secure  specimens  of  the  gold 
which  was  being  found,  and  to  forward  these  to  the 
right  persons,  including  Sir  Philip  Wodehouse.  In  the 
middle  of  that  year,  1868,  he  made  a  journey  to 
Potchefstroom  in  the  Transvaal,  for  supplies.  As  this 
was  the  head-quarters  of  one  of  the  most  energetic 


126 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


companies  that  had  been  formed,  he  took  with  him 
specimen  pieces  of  gold  quartz.  His  arrival  at  Potchef- 
stroom  created  an  excitement  which  astonished  him. 
A  special  edition  of  the  Transvaal  Argus  was  issued 
for  the  express  purpose  of  giving  the  new  facts  which 
Mackenzie  was  able  to  convey  to  them. 

Transvaal,  "Argus"  Office,  6th July  1868. 

Potchefstroom  was  thrown  into  a  state  of  considerable 
excitement  last  Thursday  afternoon,  the  2d  inst.,  when  it 
became  known  that  the  Rev.  Mr  Mackenzie,  so  anxiously 
expected  here,  had  arrived.  The  excitement  became  intense 
when  it  was  ascertained  that  the  rev.  gentleman  had  brought 
intelligence  of  a  late  date  direct  from  the  Victoria  Gold- 
fields,  was  a  bearer  of  several  letters  from  the  diggers  them- 
selves, some  of  which  we  now  publish,  and  moreover,  had 
brought  a  sample  of  gold  from  the  new  diggings.  Of  course, 
we,  too,  went  to  see,  having  been  attacked  for  the  time  being 
with  all  the  symptoms  of  the  gold  fever.  The  sample  was 
minutely  inspected,  and  we  now  declare,  on  the  sacred  word 
of  an  editor,  that  the  said  sample  requires  but  to  be  seen 
in  order  to  dispel  the  strongest  doubts  of  even  the  most 
sceptical.  The  "myth,"  as  the  gold  discovery  has  been 
termed,  has  resolved  itself  into  a  stupendous  fact.  The 
samples  produced  by  the  Rev.  Mr  Mackenzie,  which 
can  now  be  seen  at  Mr  Reid's,  are  two  pieces  of  quartz, 
partly  crystallised,  very  richly  studded  with  gold,  having  solid 
pieces,  some  larger  even  than  a  pin's  head,  imbedded  in  the 
stone ;  and  yet  the  richer  pieces,  parts  of  the  same  stone, 
had  already  been  forwarded  to  His  Excellency,  Sir  Philip 
Wodehouse,  and  also  to  Graham's  Town.  These  pieces  we 
have  not  seen,  but  the  rev.  gentleman  assures  us  that  they 
are  richer  far  than  those  brought  by  him  to  Potchefstroom, 
and  that  all  are  parts  of  the  same  stone  taken  from  the  sur- 
face, picked  up  close  to  where  the  diggers  are  now  at  work — in 
fact,  at  the  outspan  place.  These  pieces  of  quartz  fully  prove 
the  superior  richness  of  these  new  and  vast  gold-fields,  to 
which  the  name  of  "  Victoria  "  has  been  given,  in  honour  of 
Her  Majesty  the  Queen  of  England. 

One  of  the  letters  which  he  brought  to  the  editor  of 
the  Argus  from  the  captain  of  the  prospecting  party, 


THE  FIRST  PERIOD  AT  SHOSHONG  127 


announced  that  the  gold-fields  had  been  proclaimed 
British  territory,  and  that  the  Union  Jack  already 
floated  above  the  new  district,  which  was  called 
Victoria.  So  enthusiastic  were  the  sentiments  of  the 
business  people  at  Potchefstroom,  and  so  grateful  for 
the  services  rendered  to  them  by  Mackenzie,  that  they 
presented  him  with  an  address  of  welcome  and  of  warm 
gratitude  for  what  he  had  done  on  their  behalf  In 
this  gratitude  they  included  his  colleague,  the  Rev. 
Roger  Price  of  Bechuanaland.  The  address  was  signed 
by  sixty  Europeans,  including  names  which  were  un- 
mistakably English,  Scotch,  Welsh,  Irish,  and  Dutch 
respectively.  On  his  way  back  to  Shoshong  Mackenzie 
was  met  by  Sir  Philip  Wodehouse's  reply  to  the  appeal 
of  Macheng.  The  Governor  cordially  recognised  the 
great  prudence  of  Macheng  and  promised  to  investi- 
gate the  whole  question,  confessing  that  if  the  gold- 
fields  came  to  be  occupied  by  a  considerable  num- 
ber of  British  subjects  he  would  feel  himself  under 
necessity  to  provide  for  their  good  government.  The 
matter  was  reported  by  him  to  the  Cape  Parliament, 
which  voted  ;^20oo  towards  the  expenses  of  a  Parlia- 
mentary Committee,  which  it  was  proposed  to  send 
north,  and  upon  whose  report  an  intelligent  policy 
could  be  founded.  At  the  same  time,  in  a  private 
letter,  the  Governor  explained  that  he  was  laying  the 
whole  matter  before  the  authorities  in  London.  Alas  ! 
this  was  practically  equivalent  to  an  announcement 
that  the  matter  was  shelved. 

In  the  meantime  the  Transvaal  Government,  without 
waiting  for  the  report  of  its  Commissioner,  Commandant 
Viljoen,  had  actually  issued  a  proclamation,  claiming 
the  entire  territory  as  belonging  to  them.  The  pro- 
clamation, of  course,  did  not  do  this  directly  by 
naming  only  and  specifically  the  Tati  district,  but 
sought  officially  to  define  the  extent  of  its  dominions. 
These  were  said  to  extend  as  far  north  as  Lake  Ngami 


128 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


and  right  down  the  whole  length  of  Bechuanaland, 
even  to  Kuruman.  "  This  included,"  said  Mackenzie 
to  the  Governor,  "  more  than  a  dozen  native  chiefs, 
who  have  never  owed  any  allegiance  to  the  Boers." 
This  astute  but  characteristic  step  was,  owing  to  pres- 
sure from  various  quarters,  never  acted  upon.  But  in 
the  meantime  Mr  Viljoen  strove  his  best  to  secure  the 
gold  country  for  his  own  people.  Since  he  failed  to 
obtain  any  recognition  of  Transvaal  ownership  either 
from  Macheng  or  Moselekatse,he  deliberately  set  himself 
to  achieve  his  end  by  another  method,  which  was  also 
not  unfamiliar  to  his  countrymen.  He  wrote  a  letter 
to  one  Lee,  a  Boer,  but  a  British  subject,  claiming  him 
as  his  friend,  and  urging  him  as  a  man  of  influence  in 
the  Matabele  country  to  try  and  stir  up  a  war  between 
the  Matabele  and  the  Bamangwato  over  the  ownership 
of  the  gold-fields.  He,  in  black  and  white,  said  that 
he  specially  desired  to  see  the  "  vagabonds  at  Shoshong 
set  on  fire."  Of  course,  if  the  Matabele  had  made  such 
an  attack  upon  the  Bamangwato  and  secured  the  gold- 
fields,  Commandant  Viljoen  and  his  compatriots  would 
immediately  have  found  it  right,  on  humanitarian 
grounds,  to  attack  their  ancient  enemies  and  possess 
themselves  by  righteous  conquest  of  the  Tati  district. 
Into  their  hands  in  this  way  would  also  have  fallen 
the  territories  of  Mashonaland,  where  already  it  was 
known  that  gold  abounded.  The  letter  in  which  the 
Transvaal  Commissioner  made  these  proposals  came 
into  the  hands  of  Macheng.  Viljoen,  on  finding 
this  out,  immediately  apologised  to  Macheng  in  the 
humblest  terms,  and  offered,  in  reparation,  to  give  him 
some  cattle  which,  he  said,  he  was  about  to  get,  or 
take,  from  another  chief  Viljoen's  letter  Macheng 
did  not  answer. 

As  it  turned  out,  the  gold-fields  at  Tati  were  of 
such  a  nature  as  to  require  much  heavy  and  expensive 
machinery.    The  companies  which  first  attempted  to 


THE  FIRST  PERIOD  AT  SHOSHONG  129 


work  them  were  not  very  successful,  their  operations 
being  of  course  greatly  hindered  by  the  enormous 
cost  of  transport.  The  result  was  that  the  expected 
"  rush  "  did  not  take  place,  the  Cape  Parliament  did 
not  send  its  Commissioner,  the  British  Government 
did  not  accept  Macheng's  proposals,  and  the  whole 
subject  for  some  years  dropped  out  of  practical 
politics.  But  it  had  considerably  stirred  up  the  minds 
of  the  native  chiefs  throughout  Bechuanaland,  and 
they  henceforth  thought  of  European  ascendancy  in 
South  Africa  with  a  new  apprehension  in  their  hearts. 
Moreover,  the  experience  which  he  had  received  in 
these  negotiations  led  Mackenzie  to  form  still  clearer 
and  deeper  views  on  the  entire  and  vast  subject  of  the 
relations  of  Great  Britain  to  South  Africa.  Hence- 
forth, it  may  be  said  that  his  mind  worked  upon  the 
difficult  problems  which  he  saw  looming  on  the 
horizon,  with  a  definiteness  and  earnestness  born  of 
this  brief  practical  experience. 

In  the  end  of  1868,  Mackenzie  set  out  on  a 
southern  journey  with  a  double  purpose.  In  the 
first  place  he  must  attend  an  important  meeting  of 
the  Bechuana  missionaries  which  was  to  be  held  at 
Kuruman  in  the  following  year,  and  thereafter  he 
must  go  to  Cape  Town  in  order  to  send  his  two  eldest 
children  home  to  Scotland  for  their  education.  He 
had  now  a  family  of  five  children,  consisting  of  three 
sons  and  two  daughters.  He  was  only  a  few  days' 
journey  from  Shoshong  when  a  letter  from  the 
Directors  met  him  inviting  him  to  go  home  on  fur- 
lough. This  unexpected  invitation  found  him  in 
many  respects  unprepared.  He  would  have  liked 
to  see  some  adequate  provision  made  for  the  work  in 
Shoshong.  Many  things  might  have  been  said  and 
done  at  that  place  to  prepare  the  people,  both  black 
and  white,  for  the  management  of  various  affairs  in 
his  absence.    As  soon  as  the  news  reached  Shoshong 


I30  JOHN  MACKENZIE 


messages  were  sent  after  him  expressive  of  regret, 
and  not  only  of  regret  but  of  apprehension,  that  while 
he  was  away  troubles  of  various  kinds  were  likely  to 
arise  in  the  town,  which  his  presence  had  staved  off. 

At  Kuruman  a  number  of  weeks  were  passed  in 
pleasant  intercourse  with  the  brethren  and  in  hard 
daily  work  on  the  Committee.  The  chief  subject  of 
discussion  was  the  revision  of  the  Sechuana  Bible, 
with  all  the  problems  of  translation  and  orthography 
which  that  involved.  In  the  end  of  May  Mackenzie 
arrived  in  London,  and  after  a  few  days  took  his 
family  down  to  his  wife's  home  at  Portobello,  Edin- 
burgh. This  place  became  the  headquarters  of  his 
family  in  the  old  country  for  a  quarter  of  a  century. 
His  wife's  mother  and  an  unmarried  sister,  the  late 
Miss  E.  B.  Douglas,  assumed  the  guardianship  of  his 
children,  relieving  him  of  untold  anxiety.  On  the 
death  of  her  mother.  Miss  Douglas  continued  this 
work  of  love  and  self-sacrifice.  A  lady  of  rare  culture 
and  deep  piety  she  became  to  a  very  large  circle  one 
of  those  angel  aunts  to  whom  so  many  families  have 
learnt  to  render  a  peculiar  reverence  and  gratitude. 

Mackenzie  was  of  course  speedily  plunged  into  that 
strange  form  of  recreation  which  the  Christian  world 
affords  to  its  wearied  missionaries  and  which  is  known 
as  Deputation  Work.  He  did  not  relish  any  more 
than  others  the  constant  journeyings  and  the  endless 
series  of  meetings,  at  which  the  same  story  had  to  be 
told  over  and  over  again.  His  numerous  letters  to 
various  members  of  his  family,  show  that  on  this  first 
campaign  of  platform  oratory  in  England  he  was  full 
of  self-criticism  and  humility,  almost  of  self-deprecia- 
tion. And  yet  that  he  was  successful  in  the  work  is 
proved  by  the  importance  of  the  appointments  given 
him,  as  well  as  by  the  direct  testimony  of  his  hearers 
in  different  parts  of  the  country.  He  related  with 
immense  relish  the  appeal  which  one  good  lady  made 


THE  FIRST  PERIOD  AT  SHOSHONG  131 


to  him  while  driving  in  her  carriage  from  a  large 
meeting  where  he  had  spoken.  She  told  him  that 
missionary  supporters  were  looking  out  for  a  new 
hero — this  one  had  died,  and  that  one  had  retired — 
and  that  he  seemed  the  one  to  take  that  place.  For 
the  sake  of  the  cause  they  needed  the  popularity  of 
a  new  man,  and  "  Mr  Mackenzie,"  she  pleadingly 
added,  "  many  of  us  think  you  are  that  man.  But 
there  is  one  thing  you  must  do — you  must  talk  more 
about  yourself,  you  must  tell  us  your  own  adventures 
instead  of  merely  giving  these  addresses  which  we 
find  very  interesting,  but  in  which  you  yourself  have 
no  place."  Mackenzie  fairly  chuckled  over  the  idea 
that  he  should  stand  up  before  an  audience  and 
talk  about  himself 

The  list  of  deputation-engagements  between  March 
8th  and  April  8th,  1870,  shows  that  he  had  engage- 
ments at  eighteen  different  places,  at  many  of  which 
he  had  to  give  two  or  even  three  addresses  in  one 
day.  This  is  only  a  specimen  taken  at  random  from 
his  records  of  the  work,  which  he  and  other  mis- 
sionaries were  and  are  expected  to  do  month  after 
month,  during  the  larger  part  of  their  furlough. 

In  the  spring  of  1870,  not  without  much  hesita- 
tion and  dififidence,  after  urgent  arguments  from 
many  friends,  Mackenzie  gave  himself  to  the  task  of 
writing  his  first  book,  which  he  sent  out  under  the 
title  "  Ten  Years  North  of  the  Orange  River  :  a  story 
of  everyday  life  and  work  among  the  South  African 
tribes  from  1859  to  1869."  It  was  published  by 
Edmonston  &  Douglas  of  Edinburgh,  in  the  spring 
of  1 87 1,  and  has  been  for  many  years  out  of  print. 
It  was  received  with  remarkable  favour  by  reviewers 
of  all  types.  In  a  style  which  had  no  pretensions, 
but  which  was  characterised  by  clearness  and  force, 
he  not  only  described  his  own  experiences  among 
the  Bechuana  and  Matabele  tribes,  but  also  presented 


132  JOHN  MACKENZIE 


original  and  valuable  studies  of  their  political  organisa- 
tion, and  their  manners  and  customs.  In  an  appendix 
of  about  fifty  pages,  he  discussed  the  races  of  South 
Africa  in  a  more  scientific  fashion,  and  also  set  forth 
the  theory  which  he  elaborated  in  after  years  con- 
cerning "  the  contact  of  Europeans  with  natives  in 
South  Africa."  He  believed  himself  to  be  the  first 
writer  who  called  attention  to  the  fact  which  then 
was  unknown  and  unsuspected,  that  South  African 
races  were  not  decreasing  but  very  rapidly  increasing 
under  the  British  Government. 

As  soon  as  possible  after  the  completion  of  this 
book  the  Mackenzies  sailed  again  for  South  Africa  in 
the  month  of  March  1871,  leaving  three  of  their 
five  children  at  Portobello.  Before  they  left  that 
place  Mackenzie  and  his  wife  were  invited  by  the 
members  of  several  churches  in  the  town  to  a  social 
gathering  in  the  Town  Hall,  at  which  some  valuable 
gifts  were  made  to  them.  These  included  a  handsome 
gold  hunting  watch,  which  served  Mackenzie  with  great 
accuracy  to  the  end  of  his  life. 


CHAPTER  V 


THE  SECOND  PERIOD  AT  SHOSHONG  (l  87  I- I  876) 

John  Mackenzie  sailed  the  second  time  for  South 
Africa  on  the  s.s.  Sweden^  embarking  at  Dartmouth 
on  March  loth,  1871.  This  vessel  made  what  was 
at  that  date  the  fastest  voyage  on  record,  and  reached 
Cape  Town  in  twenty-seven  days,  thirteen  hours.  It 
is  interesting  to  know  that  the  very  next  vessel  still 
further  reduced  the  record  by  completing  the  voyage 
in  twenty-four  days,  thirteen  hours.  Mackenzie  sailed 
round  to  Port  Elizabeth,  and  from  there  took  ox- 
waggon  through  the  Eastern  Province.  He  made 
straight  for  Molepolole,  which  he  was  anxious  to 
reach  in  time  for  the  annual  meeting  of  the  Bechuana- 
land  District  Committee.  When  near  Lovedale,  in 
the  Colony,  he  received  from  the  Institution  there  the 
three  young  Bechuanas  of  whom  he  had  had  the  care 
for  some  years,  and  who  grew  to  manhood  and 
womanhood  in  his  service.  Dr  Stewart  of  Lovedale 
rendered  an  account  for  their  board,  lodging,  and  in- 
struction since  April  1869,  in  the  following  terms: 
"  To  charges,  £0,  os.  od."  The  Committee  meeting 
at  Molepolole  exerted  an  important  influence  upon 
the  history  of  Mackenzie.  Ten  missionaries  were  pre- 
sent, and  the  Committee  dealt  with  a  large  variety 
of  subjects  connected  with  the  work  of  the  mission. 
The  most  important  of  all  was  the  establishment  of  a 
"  Seminary  for  the  education  of  young  men  as  school- 
masters and  native  ministers."  It  is  only  necessary 
to  say  at  this  point  that  the  Committee  arranged  for 
the  immediate  establishment  of  such  an  institution,  and 
appointed  Mackenzie  to  be  its  first  Tutor.     When  he 


134 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


continued  his  journey  to  Shoshong,  it  was,  therefore, 
not  only  with  the  happy  anticipations  of  a  return  to 
his  beloved  people,  but  under  deep  concern  over  this 
new  enterprise  and  his  part  in  it. 

During  the  months  which  had  elapsed  since  they 
left  England,  the  hearts  of  these  parents  had,  of  course, 
been  much  with  the  children  whom  they  left  behind 
in  that  distant  Scottish  home.  There  began  at  that 
time,  therefore,  that  long  series  of  letters  to  his 
children  into  which  Mackenzie  poured  all  the  tender- 
ness and  wisdom,  and  firmness  and  earnestness  of  his 
soul.  With  children,  as  we  shall  see,  he  knew  how  to 
be  playful  as  well  as  serious,  and  these  letters  written 
to  his  own  children  in  their  younger  years  reveal  a 
true  interest  in  the  very  matters  which  attracted  their 
attention  and  affection  year  after  year.  The  following 
letter,  written  before  reaching  Shoshong  to  one  of  his 
sons,  is  thoroughly  characteristic  : — 

:\I0LEP0L0LE,  SECHELE'S  TOWN. 

My  Dear  Willie, — You  will  remember  this  place,  I 
daresay.  We  got  here  about  ten  days  ago.  Our  oxen  were 
getting  very  tired ;  and  I  am  very  glad  for  their  sakes  that 
we  are  staying  here  for  a  little.  There  are  ten  missionaries 
here  at  present,  and  we  meet  together  as  a  District  Com- 
mittee, to  consider  all  questions  connected  with  our  work 
here. 

Bill  and  Plaything  (two  favourite  goats)  are  with  us.  We 
got  them  at  Kuruman.  They  are  both  quite  tame,  and 
allow  me  to  scratch  their  heads.  They  come  running  to 
you  if  you  hold  out  your  hand,  hoping  to  get  a  piece  of 
bread.  They  eat  porridge  also.  Jamie  is  quite  pleased 
with  them,  but  he  is  a  little  afraid  of  them  at  present. 
Rosa  (a  dog)  is  here.  She  is  a  great  favourite  with  every- 
body, and  is  very  beautiful.  Monk  is  now  a  large  dog.  We 
left  it,  you  remember,  at  Kuruman,  a  little  puppy.  Garty 
(a  much  loved  otter  terrier)  was  at  Kuruman,  and  came  in 
with  us,  walking  all  the  way.  He  is  getting  old,  and  is  a 
little  deaf ;  but  we  shall  take  special  care  of  it  for  your 
sake,  for  we  remember  it  is  Willie's  dog.    I  have  also  a  fine 


THE  SECOND  PERIOD  AT  SHOSHONG  135 


large  dog  which  I  call  Nero.  Mr  Good  tells  us  there  were 
lots  of  mice  or  rats  in  our  house  at  Shoshong  when  he  was 
in  it ;  so  we  are  taking  in  two  cats  from  this  place. 

Ellen's  cows  are  quite  well.  One  is  giving  milk  now ;  the 
other  will  calve  in  summer.  I  shall  tell  you  about  yours  and 
Johnnie's  when  I  see  them  at  home. 

Do  you  remember  the  Dam  here.?  I  have  bathed  in  it 
three  times.  It  was  rather  cold,  it  being  still  winter  here. 
Little  Rogie  Price  bathes  with  his  father,  and  is  quite  brave 
in  the  water.  By  the  by,  I  hope  you  are  both  very  careful 
as  to  how  far  you  go  in  the  sea  when  bathing  in  summer. 

At  the  time  I  am  writing  you  are  enjoying  your  vacation 
somewhere.  We  have  been  lately  thinking  and  speaking 
much  of  you.  When  you  get  this  letter  the  vacation  will 
have  again  passed ;  and  you  will  be  at  work  with  your 
lessons.  Dear  boys,  continue  to  be  diligent  and  persevering. 
Little  by  little — and  whatever  you  do,  do  well. 

I  find  that  I  am  a  little  rusty  in  Sechuana.  It  will  soon 
come  back.  At  present  the  right  word  is  not  always  at  hand 
when  I  want  it,  so  I  have  to  express  my  meaning  in  another 
way.  This  happens  once  or  twice  in  a  sermon.  I  have 
very  good  news  from  Shoshong.  The  people  are  earnest 
about  learning  to  read ;  and  the  church  was  nearly  full  when 
a  native  passed  through,  whom  I  saw  yesterday.  I  am  de- 
lighted with  the  idea  of  again  preaching  and  teaching  at 
Shoshong.  Pray  for  us,  my  dear  boys,  that  our  work  may 
receive  the  blessing  of  God.  When  you  say  "  Thy  kingdom 
come,"  think  sometimes  of  the  Bamangwato,  and  of  your 
parents'  work. 

Be  sure  and  continue  in  full  love  to  one  another.  Don't 
keep  secrets  from  one  another.  Don't  quarrel.  If  you  are 
angry  with  one  another,  make  it  up  before  you  sleep.  Stick 
to  one  another.  And  may  your  Father  in  Heaven  Himself 
take  care  of  you  and  bless  you. — Ever  your  affectionate 
father,  John  Mackenzie. 

When  news  reached  Shoshong  that  Mackenzie  and 
his  young  colleague  the  Rev.  J.  D.  Hepburn  were 
nearing  the  town,  the  young  chief  Khame  and  two 
brothers  rode  out  twenty  miles  to  meet  them.  They 
arrived  on  August  23  rd. 

Mackenzie  received  two  letters  of  cordial  welcome 


136  JOHN  MACKENZIE 


after  his  long  absence.  The  first  was  addressed  to 
him  by  Macheng,  who  was  still  chief  of  the  Bamang- 
wato,  to  assure  him  that  he  felt  toward  him  as  toward 
an  old  friend  and  brother.  These  warm  sentiments, 
which  at  the  time  gave  pleasure,  alas  !  as  we  shall  see, 
did  not  continue.  The  other  letter,  so  far  as  the 
sincerity  of  the  writers  is  concerned,  was  much  more 
valuable.  It  was  signed  by  twelve  European  traders, 
at  that  time  residing  at  Shoshong ;  as  expressing 
their  spontaneous  welcome  to  a  missionary,  whom  they 
as  a  class  are  usually  supposed  to  dislike,  this  letter, 
simple  but  earnest,  gave  Mackenzie  much  delight. 

The  missionaries  were  profoundly  thankful  to  find 
that  both  Khame  and  his  brother  Khamane  had 
remained  faithful.  They  had  personally  maintained 
public  worship  when  no  missionary  was  present,  and 
carried  on  the  day  school,  with  the  result  that  the 
congregation  had  increased.  This  remarkable  fact 
may  be  placed  alongside  the  keen  observation  made 
some  years  later  by  Mackenzie,  that  the  native 
Christians  belonging  to  towns  where  no  white  mis- 
sionary was  settled,  showed  a  higher  average  intelligence 
in  Christian  affairs  than  those  living  under  the 
immediate  tutelage  of  an  ordained  European.  It 
appears  to  be  the  case  not  only  that  the  Church  of 
Christ  has  that  sustaining  spiritual  force  within  it 
which  can  maintain  and  multiply  life  even  among  the 
rudest  peoples,  where  the  Word  of  God  is  openly  read 
and  taught ;  but  that  sometimes  the  continual  presence 
of  an  educated  European  retards  the  development 
of  intelligence  among  an  ignorant  and  unlettered 
people.  The  reason  for  the  latter  result  probably  is, 
that  he  comes  to  be  regarded  too  much  as  an  oracle 
whose  every  word  is  trusted,  and  whose  assertion  is 
taken  as  authoritative.  Naturally  the  word  of  a  local 
native  teacher  is  more  open  to  dispute,  and  is  therefore 
more  disputed.     The  friendly  discussions  which  his 


THE  SECOND  PERIOD  AT  SHOSHONG  137 


teaching  thus  stimulates  as  well  as  guides,  hasten  the 
spiritual  growth  of  the  entire  community.  Of  course, 
he  himself  has  been  taught  by  a  missionary  and  he 
frequently  makes  a  journey  to  the  nearest  Mission 
Station,  where  he  discusses  all  those  problems  with 
the  missionary,  which  his  own  parishioners  have  been 
hurling  at  his  bewildered  head. 

Mackenzie  found  that  the  political  atmosphere  at 
Shoshong  was  peculiarly  uncertain  ;  at  times  it 
threatened  to  break  into  a  disastrous  storm.  Macheng 
who  had  begun,  as  may  be  remembered,  by  admiring 
and  trusting  the  two  brothers  Khame  and  Khamane, 
and  had  striven  to  secure  their  co-operation  and  sym- 
pathy, gradually  became  jealous  of  them,  as  their  own 
father  had  been.  He  was  a  self-indulgent  and  sensual 
man,  and  he  grew  in  jealousy  and  greed.  His  greed 
led  him  to  lay  hold  on  as  many  "  presents  "  from  both 
white  men  and  black  as  he  could,  while  his  jealousy 
led  him  to  consult  the  young  chiefs  less  and  less. 
This  attitude  of  mind  was  publicly  revealed  by  various 
incidents,  but  by  none  more  strikingly  than  that  which 
occurred  in  connection  with  Kuruman,  the  claimant  to 
the  kingship  of  the  Matabele  tribe.  Moselekatse,  the 
famous  Zulu  warrior,  chief  of  the  Matabele,  had 
recently  died,  and  his  head-men  had  made  his  son, 
Lobengula,  chief  in  his  stead.  The  latter  immediately 
took  steps  to  make  his  position  secure,  but  was  con- 
fronted by  the  fact  that  many  of  his  people  believed 
him  to  be  a  usurper.  The  true  successor  of  Moselekatse 
was,  they  said,  an  older  brother  whom  Moselekatse  had 
sent  away  in  his  childhood  southwards  to  be  brought 
up  where  his  life  would  be  safe.  Inquiries  were  made 
with  the  result  that  a  young  man  named  Kuruman,  who 
had  long  lived  with  Mr  Theophilus  Shepstone  of  Natal, 
was  announced  as  the  eldest  son  of  Moselekatse  and 
the  true  heir  to  the  chieftainship  of  the  Matabele. 
Kuruman  gave  proofs  which  at  once  convinced  large 


138 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


numbers,  and  he  set  out  on  the  journey  northwards  to 
claim  his  kingdom.  It  may  be  a  safe  conjecture  that 
Mr  Rider  Haggard,  who  was  one  of  Shepstone's 
colleagues,  founded  one  of  the  most  interesting 
portions  of  his  story,  entitled  "  King  Solomon's 
Mines,"  upon  this  very  incident  in  South  African 
history.  Kuruman,  however,  lacked  the  wisdom  and 
self-control  of  Mr  Haggard's  hero.  When  he  reached 
Shoshong,  and  declared  himself  to  Macheng,  he  asked 
for  the  loan  of  three  regiments,  announcing  that  he 
desired  them  not  to  fight  against  the  Matabele  but  to 
act  as  an  escort  on  his  entrance  into  his  own  land. 
He  appears  to  have  taken  for  granted  that  Lobengula 
either  would  not  fight  against  him,  or  if  he  did  would 
be  deserted  by  the  entire  tribe  when  they  heard  the 
simple  announcement,  made  by  chosen  heralds,  that 
Kuruman,  their  true  king,  was  now  in  their  midst. 
He  went  north  in  this  foolhardy  manner  only  to  find 
that  Lobengula  had  heard  all  about  his  movements, 
had  paralysed  those  of  the  Matabele  who  were  known 
to  support  his  claim,  and  made  arrangements  to  slay 
his  heralds  wherever  they  dared  to  lift  their  voices. 
This  claimant  to  the  throne  was  compelled  to  retire 
meekly  to  Shoshong,  where  he  settled  down  for  a  time, 
and  where  his  presence  caused  great  disturbance  of 
mind  to  his  hosts.  But  his  foolish  movement  made 
double  mischief  in  Shoshong.  For,  in  the  first  place, 
Macheng  had  placed  those  three  regiments  under  an 
inferior  officer,  to  the  public  humiliation  of  Khame, 
their  real  commander.  And,  in  the  next  place,  matters 
were  complicated  for  Macheng  himself,  because  some 
of  Kuruman's  servants  had  seized  Matabele  cattle  and 
brought  them  to  Shoshong.  As  long  as  Kuruman 
with  his  few  soldiers  and  their  plunder  remained  among 
the  Bamangwato  the  latter  felt  themselves  involved  in 
what  Europe  would  call  "  strained  relations  with  a 
neighbouring  government." 


THE  SECOND  PERIOD  AT  SHOSHONG  139 

But  to  return  to  Macheng's  domestic  affairs,  his 
relations  with  the  young  chiefs  were  brought  to  a 
head  through  the  treachery  of  a  half-brother  of  the 
latter  named  Ralitlari.  This  man  was  discovered  in 
a  deep  plot  to  secure  either  that  Macheng  should 
attack  Khame  or  that  Khame  should  attack  Macheng  ; 
and  he  attempted  to  bring  about  an  open  warfare  by 
acting  as  the  friend  of  each,  and  assuring  each  that  the 
other  intended  to  murder  him.  When  he  was  discovered, 
and  he  fled  from  the  town  with  three  of  Khame's 
horses,  the  young  chiefs  made  the  strange  resolve  to 
invite  their  own  father  Sekhome  back  to  the  chieftain- 
ship. Sekhome,  who  had  long  been  plotting  for  this 
very  thing,  in  a  most  inexplicable  way  declined  it, 
when  the  invitation  was  brought  to  him  by  Khamane. 
The  young  chiefs  had  a  strong  ally  in  Sechele,  the 
well-known  chief  of  the  neighbouring  tribe  the  Bakwena. 
Having  promised  to  send  them  help  he  did  so  in  a  very 
effective  way.  His  soldiers,  with  his  own  son  Sebele 
at  their  head,  arrived  at  Shoshong  quite  unexpectedly. 
The  ensuing  incidents  may  be  given  in  Mackenzie's 
words  as  follows  : — 

Khamane  arrived  on  Saturday,  and  the  Bakwena  were 
expected  on  the  Monday  night  following.  When  Tuesday 
night  came,  and  no  Bakwena,  Khame's  anxiety  was  very 
great ;  but  in  the  middle  of  the  night  a  scout  arrived  to 
announce  that  they  were  resting  that  night  in  the  desert, 
some  distance  from  the  town,  and  that  they  would  arrive 
next  night.  Strange  to  say,  the  secret  did  not  leak  out  in 
the  town.  I  never  knew  the  Bamangwato  keep  a  matter  so 
close.  Macheng  was  quite  unsuspicious  of  imminent  danger, 
although  he  knew  that  Khamane  had  been  to  see  his  father. 
He  talked  largely  of  the  answer  which  he  was  to  send  back 
to  Sechele  ;  and  in  the  meantime  ordered  that  a  bag  of  sugar, 
the  property  of  a  trader,  should  be  conveyed  to  his  house, 
"  as  a  present."  In  all  such  unworthy  courses  he  was  en- 
couraged by  a  few  hair-brained  youths  who  were  his  constant 
personal  attendants. 

On  Wednesday  the  chief  went  unsuspectingly  on  his  roun 


140  JOHN  MACKENZIE 


to  visit  the  white  men's  shops,  and  to  demand  the  customary 
basinful  of  brandy  from  each.  But  at  gray  dawn  on  Thurs- 
day morning  Macheng's  heavy  slumbers  were  rudely  disturbed 
by  a  discharge  of  musketry.  He  lay  down,  the  sensual, 
stupid,  but  conceited  chief  of  the  Bamangwato ;  an  hour 
after  dawn  he  was  an  outcast,  almost  without  a  friend.  As 
soon  as  he  heard  the  discharge  of  fire-arms  Macheng,  partially 
dressed,  hurried  from  his  hut.  He  soon  found  himself  in 
the  hands  of  the  Bakwena-  and  Bamangwato,  under  Seretse, 
a  brother  of  Khame.  It  was  Sechele's  desire  that  Macheng 
should  be  shot,  but  to  this  Khame  refused  to  consent.  "  Kill 
his  worthless  and  bloodthirsty  attendants,"  said  Khame,  "but 
let  Macheng  himself  go  free."  And  so  Macheng,  when  seized, 
was  roughly  told  that  he  was  indebted  to  Khame  for  his  life, 
and  was  ordered  to  leave  the  town  without  delay.  Six  of  his 
counsellors  fell  near  to  him.  Several  Matabele  attendants  of 
Macheng  were  also  shot.  Corpulent  and  indolent,  Macheng 
cut  a  sorry  figure  on  Thursday  morning.  Without  shoes, 
without  shirt,  so  overcome  with  fright  and  unwonted  exertion 
that  he  was  ready  to  fall  down,  he  was  driven  from  the  town, 
forced  to  take  refuge  in  the  mountains  at  the  foot  of  which 
it  is  built.  Those  of  the  Bamangwato  who  were  taken  by 
surprise,  like  their  chief,  hastened  to  that  part  of  the  town 
where  Macheng  took  up  his  first  position.  Khame,  however, 
afforded  them  an  opportunity  of  retracing  their  steps  and 
returning  to  the  town.  At  the  head  of  a  party  of  horsemen 
he  approached  this  harmless  crowd,  and  shouted,  "  He  who 
is  for  Khame,  let  him  return  to  the  town."  The  people  came 
back  almost  to  a  man ;  and  Macheng  was  left  to  scramble 
up  the  mountain  as  best  he  could.  Twenty  of  Macheng's 
supporters  fell  in  the  engagement  in  the  town,  and  two 
Bakwena.  None  of  Khame's  men  were  hurt,  although  they 
were  always  in  the  front.  A  native  town  is  an  awkward 
place  for  warfare  ;  an  enemy  may  be  within  some  hut  or 
behind  some  fence,  and  take  dead  aim  at  you  before  you  are 
aware.  So  the  Bakwena  set  fire  to  the  town  in  order  to 
dislodge  its  occupants.  This  is  not  at  all  the  serious  matter 
which  the  burning  of  European  houses  would  be.  The  only 
grave  part  of  it  was  the  burning  of  the  corn  within  the  large 
clay  vessels  in  which  it  is  stored,  and  which  are  roofed  over 
with  grass,  like  a  hut.  The  conflagration  might  have  become 
a  very  serious  one ;  but  fortunately  the  wind  soon  fell,  and 
Macheng's  few  followers  were  soon  driven  away ;   so  the 


THE  SECOND  PERIOD  AT  SHOSHONG  141 


women  were  able  to  return  and  keep  the  fire  from 
spreading. 

In  the  afternoon  some  of  Macheng's  followers  stationed 
themselves  among  the  lofty  crags  overhanging  the  wells 
where  the  Bamangwato  women  draw  water.  This  is  not 
far  from  our  houses,  so  we  could  witness  the  consternation 
among  the  water-drawers  when  the  first  bullet  was  fired 
amongst  them.  But  Macheng's  men  did  not  confine  their 
attention  to  the  women  in  the  river.  Mr  Hepburn  was 
superintending  some  men  who  were  sawing  timber,  when  a 
bullet,  evidently  aimed  at  their  party,  passed  close  to  Mr 
Hepburn's  head  and  fell  a  httle  beyond  the  sawpit.  Another 
struck  the  ground  a  few  feet  in  front  of  Mr  Hepburn's  door. 
A  third  struck  the  ground  close  to  where  I  stood.  About 
this  time  a  number  of  Bakwena  had  come  to  our  premises  to 
greet  the  two  Bakwena  students,  and  several  Bamangwato 
men  were  also  near  our  houses ;  perhaps  this  was  the  reason 
why  Macheng's  few  followers  directed  their  bullets  as 
they  did.  Having  annoyed  us  for  about  two  hours,  and 
effectually  prevented  our  drawing  of  water  during  that  time, 
they  were  driven  from  their  stronghold  by  Khame  and 
Khamane.  After  living  for  a  few  days  in  secluded  retreats 
in  the  northern  part  of  the  range,  Macheng  turned  toward 
the  east,  and  while  I  write,  is  in  the  Machwapong  hills  on 
his  way,  it  is  understood,  to  Mankoroane's  country.  The 
unfortunate  man  has  not  a  single  friend  among  all  the  neigh- 
bouring chiefs.  He  quarrelled  with  everyone  during  the 
short  period  of  his  reign,  and  now  he  has  to  seek  refuge  in 
a  country  where  he  is  unknown. 

In  the  public  gathering  which  took  place  after  the  fight 
was  over,  Sebele  publicly  informed  the  Bamangwato  that 
Sechele  had  sent  in  his  men  not  to  assist  Sekhome,  but  to 
assist  Khame.  Some  of  the  Bamangwato  head-men  also 
declared  in  their  speeches  that  "  they  saw  Sekhome  in 
Khame ;  they  did  not  wish  for  another  ! "  Khame  himself 
spoke  with  great  prudence :  "  I  have  not  fought  for  the 
chieftainship ;  I  have  fought  for  my  life.  As  to  my  father, 
I  have  asked  Sekhome  to  come  home,  and  sent  Khamane 
for  him  ;  but  he  refused.  I  shall  not  ask  him  again.  It  is 
for  you  Bamangwato  to  send  for  him,  and  to  bring  him  back 
again."  He  thus  throws  the  weight  of  the  responsibility 
upon  the  head-men.  On  the  whole,  I  sincerely  hope  that 
neither  Macheng  nor  Sekhome  may  ever  be  chief  of  this  town. 


142 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


One  of  the  results  of  this  revolution  was  that 
Kuruman  had  to  leave  Khame's  country.  Unfortu- 
nately the  cattle  which  he  had  left  at  Shoshong  were 
carried  off  by  the  Bakwena  as  their  legitimate  booty, 
a  circumstance  which  afterwards  involved  some  deli- 
cate negotiations  with  Lobengula. 

It  is  surely  a  matter  of  intense  interest  that 
Mackenzie,  at  this  crisis  in  the  history  of  the  tribe, 
retained  the  absolute  trust  of  the  leaders  of  all  the 
parties  who  were  warring  against  each  other.  At  one 
and  the  same  time  he  was  keeping  in  safety  some 
property  for  Sekhome,  the  exiled  chief,  and  the 
originator  of  so  much  wickedness  and  mischief  among 
the  people  ;  he  was  also  made  the  depositary  by 
Macheng  of  a  considerable  amount  of  money  in 
English  gold,  and  Macheng  was  Sekhome's  rival  and 
supplanter ;  he  also  acted  as  the  trusted  and  most 
willing  adviser  of  Khame,  around  whose  personality 
the  hatred  of  the  two  former  for  each  other  had  been 
exasperated,  and  upon  whom  also  it  was  concentrated. 
Yet  none  of  these  rivals  for  the  chieftainship  seems  to 
have  feared  lest  this  missionary  should  use  his  power 
over  their  possessions,  to  the  disadvantage  of  any  of 
them. 

Khame  was  now,  to  all  appearances,  formally  estab- 
lished as  the  ruler  of  the  Bamangwato  tribe  through- 
out its  wide  extent  of  territory.  He  entered  upon  his 
task  not  without  anxiety,  yet  with  a  certain  quietness 
and  confidence  characteristic  of  him.  He  was  very 
speedily  confronted  with  the  two  problems  which,  as 
far  as  his  direct  rulership  was  concerned,  appear  to 
have  caused  him  the  greatest  perplexity.  The  first  of 
these  came  from  the  fact  that,  as  chief  of  the  tribe,  he 
was  officially  responsible  for  the  performance  of  certain 
heathen  rites  and  ceremonies.  It  was  well  known 
that,  as  a  private  man,  he  had  even  at  great  cost  cut 
himself  off  from  many  of  the  traditional  customs  of 


THE  SECOND  PERIOD  AT  SHOSHONG  143 


his  people  ;  but  it  seemed  to  many  that  he  would  be 
compelled  to  give  way  to  some  extent  when  it  came 
to  the  performance  of  those  ceremonies  which  the 
entire  people  believed  to  be  essential  to  their  pros- 
perity, and  capable  of  due  celebration  only  by  the 
chief  The  following  account  of  the  way  in  which 
Khame  met  this  difficulty  was  given  by  Mackenzie. 

Events  soon  transpired  which  showed  Khame  that  his 
position  would  be  one  of  great  difficulty.  On  Saturday  last 
he  came  to  consult  me  concerning  his  first  collision  with 
heathenism  ;  he  informed  me  that  some  of  the  head-men, 
without  meaning  any  offence  to  him,  had  suggested  the  per- 
formance of  some  heathen  ceremonies  in  which  the  chief  had 
to  bear  a  part.  The  people,  it  seemed,  were  about  to  begin 
to  dig  their  gardens.  This  was  always  done  with  ceremony 
and  charm.  The  question  then  was.  Were  the  people  to  be 
told  simply  to  go  and  dig,  without  any  ceremony,  or  could 
the  seed-time  be  publicly  inaugurated  by  a  Christian  chief  in 
a  Christian  way  ?  At  harvest  time  there  were  also  ceremonies. 
Now,  the  heathen  ideas  embodied  in  the  ceremonies  were 
good  ones.  In  the  spring-time  by  charm  and  spell  and 
strict  observance  of  use  and  wont,  the  heathen  hoped  to 
propitiate  the  Unseen  and  to  get  a  good  crop.  When  the 
chief  began  the  harvesting,  it  was  with  feelings  of  gladness 
for  the  fruits  which  had  come  to  maturity.  Why  should 
not  a  Christian  Bechuana  chief  issue  his  "  letsemma," 
inaugurate  his  seed-time,  by  public  prayer  to  Almighty 
God  the  Maker  of  Heaven  and  Earth  ?  And  why  not 
"loma"  in  the  time  of  harvest,  with  thanksgiving  and 
praise  to  Him  Who  crowneth  the  year  with  His  goodness  ? 
Evidently  such  a  public  service  would  be  a  blessing  to 
Khame  himself,  giving  him  an  opportunity  publicly  to  pledge 
himself  as  a  chief  to  those  customs  which  he  had  so  faith- 
fully followed  in  a  less  prominent  position.  From  the  stand- 
point of  the  old  heathen  people,  such  a  service  seemed  also 
to  be  desirable.  The  town  was  not  left  utterly  without  a 
"  custom " ;  there  was  something  to  which  their  ignorant 
minds  might  cling — something  simple  and  better  than  the 
old  charms.  Then,  as  to  the  young  men  who  are  "  adherents  " 
but  not  Christians,  such  a  service  would  be  both  a  help  and 
a  pleasure  to  them,  giving  them  an  answer  to  those  who 


144  JOHN  MACKENZIE 


would  draw  them  back,  and  strengthening  in  their  minds  an 
idea  of  the  suitabihty  of  Christianity  to  meet  their  require- 
ments as  a  people.  So  I  suggested  to  Khame  that  he  should 
begin  a  new  thing  in  the  country,  and  issue  his  "letsemma" 
as  a  Christian  chief  in  a  Christian  way.  Inasmuch  as  every 
chief  has  the  right  to  choose  the  nation  from  whom  his  son 
shall  receive  his  doctors  or  priests,  Sekhome  had  only 
exercised  that  right  in  choosing  for  his  sons  a  missionary 
instead  of  priest.  The  teaching  of  the  missionary  was 
therefore  entitled  to  at  least  as  much  public  respect  as  that 
of  any  native  doctor.  By  publicly  acknowledging  his  firm 
adherence  to  Christianity  at  the  outset  of  his  career,  I 
hoped  also  that  Khame  would  escape  molestation  from  the 
heathen  party  in  the  future. 

So,  on  Sunday  morning  last,  our  church  was  empty. 
Khame  assembled  the  Bamangwato  in  the  public  court- 
yard. The  proceedings  were  commenced  by  the  young 
chief  in  a  short  speech  in  which  he  emphatically  announced 
his  unwavering  determination  to  adhere  to  Christianity.  He 
did  not  prohibit  heathen  ceremonies,  but  they  must  not  be 
performed  in  the  khotla,  and  as  chief  he  would  contribute 
nothing  towards  them.  The  service  in  which  the  missionary 
was  about  to  engage  was  his  "  letsemma " ;  after  it  they 
might  dig  where  they  pleased.  Whoever  wished  his  seed 
to  be  charmed  or  his  garden  to  be  charmed  could  do  so,  at 
his  own  expense ;  but  he  had  no  such  custom.  His  speech, 
which  was  a  very  clear  one,  was  well  received :  and  I  felt 
when  he  sat  down  that  he  was  further  from  heathenism  in 
his  own  estimation  and  in  the  minds  of  his  people  than 
before  he  made  it.  Then  followed  the  religious  service — 
similar  to  our  ordinary  morning  service.  We  sang  the 
Sechuana  version  of  the  looth  Psalm  ;  I  read  the  33rd  and 
65th  Psalms,  and  then  engaged  in  prayer,  which  of  course 
had  reference  to  our  special  circumstances.  Inasmuch  as 
Khame  had  informed  the  people  that  I  was  not  only  to  lead 
their  prayers,  but  also  to  address  them,  I  had  an  opportunity 
of  making  a  short  speech  to  the  assembled  Bamangwato. 
The  points  which  I  aimed  at  establishing  were  the  suitability 
of  Christianity  as  a  "  custom  "  or  religion ;  that,  therefore, 
under  Khame's  sway,  they  were  not  to  anticipate  calamity 
through  having  given  up  the  public  recognition  of  the  old 
customs  ;  it  was  a  religion  which  had  come  to  them  from  no 
mean  nation,  but  one  whose  skill  and  prowess  were  patent 


THE  SECOND  PERIOD  AT  SHOSHONG  145 


to  them  ;  it  was  not  for  one  nation  but  for  all ;  and  it  had 
made  their  young  chiefs  truthful,  kindhearted  and  brave — 
their  praise  was  in  every  tribe.  Let  no  one  therefore  hinder 
them  or  molest  them  in  God's  service  in  the  future ;  but 
rather  let  all  learn  to  love  and  to  trust  the  God  of  Khame 
and  Khamane. 

The  speech  was  well  received  ;  indeed  audible  applause  was 
given  to  it.  The  service  was  concluded  in  the  usual  way, 
and  thus  ended  Khame's  public  and  solemn  recognition  of 
God  and  of  Christianity  among  the  Bamangwato  people. 

His  other  great  difficulty  Khame  found  among  the 
v^hite  traders,  who  either  had  come  to  reside  at 
Shoshong  or  passed  through  the  town  from  time  to 
time  in  large  numbers.  On  the  last  day  of  December 
1872,  he  went  to  Mackenzie  to  say  that  he  wished  to 
assemble  all  the  white  men  in  order  to  make  known  to 
them  his  laws  with  reference  to  strong  drink.  He  had 
before  explained  his  position  to  the  traders  as  indi- 
viduals, and  a  great  improvement  had  resulted  ;  but 
fresh  men  brought  the  hated  commodity  in,  and  the 
traffic  was  therefore  maintained,  though  in  a  mitigated 
form.  He  invited  Mackenzie  to  be  present  at  the 
meeting.  The  next  morning  early  the  chief  again 
visited  the  missionary's  house  for  further  consultation, 
and  they  went  down  together  to  the  khotla.  All  the 
white  men,  to  the  number  of  twenty-one,  were  brought 
together,  several  coming  only  after  repeated  summons 
had  been  sent  to  them.  His  speech,  which  was  in- 
terpreted by  Mackenzie,  was  a  short  one  indeed,  but 
very  clear,  direct,  and  authoritative.  He  simply  and 
formally  announced  his  law  about  "  boyalwa  "  (strong 
drink).  It  was  henceforth  illegal  to  sell  it  in  the  town, 
or  even  to  bring  it  into  the  country.  After  this  warning, 
all  brandy  discovered  in  the  town  would  be  immediately 
destroyed,  its  owner  would  be  fined,  and  expelled  be- 
yond the  borders.  Then  Mackenzie  made  a  short 
statement,  in  which  he  explained  that  this  movement 
had  in  no  way  been  prompted  by  him,  but  was  entirely 

K 


146  JOHN  MACKENZIE 


the  outcome  of  Khame's  own  thought.  The  traders, 
as  a  whole,  appear  to  have  approved  of  Khame's 
action.  His  right  to  make  the  law,  and  the  fairness 
of  the  conditions  under  which  he  announced  it,  were 
universally  acknowledged.  Some  of  them  rejoiced  be- 
cause their  own  servants  would  thus  be  delivered  from 
temptation  ;  others,  who  were  addicted  to  drink  and  had 
often  disgraced  themselves  in  the  town,  while  they  did 
not  loudly  acquiesce,  were  believed  by  those  who  knew 
them  to  be  secretly  glad  that  they  themselves  would 
be  freed  from  temptation.  The  following  sentences 
from  Mackenzie's  memorandum  are  of  some  interest, 
as  illustrating  at  once  the  spirit  of  the  traders  and  of 
the  chief 

C          said,  "  Well,  now,  there  must  be  some  loop-hole 

somewhere.  We  must  not  begin  and  smuggle,  for  if  we  do 
so,  it  will  be  worse  for  all  parties  than  the  thing  is  at  present. 
We  all  like  a  little  drink  now  and  then,  especially  when  we 
meet  after  a  long  separation ;  we  have  been  always  accus- 
tomed to  have  a  little  drink.  Does  the  chief  mean  to  try 
and  stop  that  ?  " 

I  interpreted  the  question  to  Khame,  who  replied,  "  Ever 
since  we  saw  the  first  white  man  we  have  been  accustomed 
to  see  them  pull  out  a  bottle  and  giving  one  another  some- 
thing to  drink.  For  a  long  time  we  thought  it  was  medicine, 
and  it  did  not  concern  us,  for  it  was  not  given  to  black  men. 
I  do  not  want  to  interfere  with  your  personal  habits,  so  long 
as  they  do  not  become  a  nuisance  in  the  town.  But  if,  when 
you  give  one  another  drink,  you  turn  round  and  give  it  to 
my  people  also,  then  I  shall  regard  you  as  blame- worthy." 

M          said,  "  What  the  chief  wants  to  put  down  is  a 

canteen  for  black  fellows,  and  I  must  say  he  is  quite 
right." 

I  said  I  thought  what  he  wanted  to  put  down  was  a  can- 
teen for  any  fellows,  white  or  black. 

B          made  some  reference  to  drink  being  allowed  to 

pass.    (He  has  some  on  his  waggon.)    C  also  wanted 

to  know  distinctly  what  was  the  law  with  reference  to  drink 
going  through  the  country  ? 

Khame,  in  reply,  said,  "What  other  country  do  you  want 


THE  SECOND  PERIOD  AT  SHOSHONG  147 


to  destroy  with  it  ?  Why  not  let  it  alone  ?  Why  should  it 
pass  and  destroy  others  ?  Are  there  not  people  like  our- 
selves on  in  front  ?  " 

This  did  not,  alas  !  end  Khame's  troubles  in  relation 
to  this  universally  troublesome  problem. 

In  the  year  1873,  Mackenzie  found  it  necessary  to 
make  a  journey  into  Matabeleland,  in  order  to  procure 
supplies  of  corn  for  the  students  of  the  Seminary  who 
were  now  living  at  Shoshong.  The  journey  was  very 
rapidly  made  and  the  stay  in  Matabeleland  was  brief, 
but  it  enabled  him  to  make  a  survey  of  affairs  in  that 
country  alike  from  political,  commercial  and  religious 
points  of  view.  He  recalled  vividly  the  conditions 
which  existed  during  his  last  visit  in  1863  and  made 
some  interesting  comparisons. 

His  purely  private  mission  into  that  country  was 
combined  with  an  informal  embassage  on  behalf  of 
Khame.  Since  Khame's  accession  to  the  chieftainship 
of  the  Bamangwato  several  communications  had  passed 
between  him  and  Lobengula,  each  chief  being  advised 
in  the  matter  by  the  resident  missionary.  The  result 
was  that  the  negotiations  even  on  delicate  points  had 
been  carried  on  amicably.  Khame  disclaimed  all 
desire  to  quarrel  with  his  neighbour,  and  the  latter 
wrote  that  his  heart  was  "  white  "  towards  Khame,  and 
that  he  desired  to  see  his  face.  Notwithstanding  these 
protestations  of  friendship,  some  of  Lobengula's  soldiers 
had  attacked  one  of  Khame's  cattle  posts,  killing  and 
stealing  in  the  usual  fashion.  A  letter  on  this  subject 
was  carried  to  Lobengula  by  Mackenzie.  The  Zulu 
chief  made  ample  apologies  for  what  he  described  as 
an  "  unauthorised  movement "  by  his  war  party,  for 
which  he  held  them  guilty.  He  repeated  his  invitation 
to  Khame  to  pay  him  a  personal  visit,  and  he  pledged 
himself  for  the  future  not  to  send  a  war  party  against 
Khame  on  any  account,  without  first  seeking  an  ex- 
planation of  any  difficulty  that  might  arise  between 


148  JOHN  MACKENZIE 


them.  On  the  whole  Lobengula  behaved  to  Khame's 
missionary  with  great  kindness  and  hospitality. 

Mackenzie,  in  a  letter  to  Dr  Mullens  (September  ist 
1873),  described  his  impressions  of  this  part  of  South 
Africa,  and  made  a  most  remarkable  forecast  regarding 
the  fate  of  the  Matabele  tribe.  He  refers  in  strong 
terms  to  the  beauty  and  richness  of  the  southern  part 
of  Matabeleland,  formerly  known  as  the  Makalaka 
country,  where  Buluwayo,  the  capital,  was  placed 
among  the  Matoppo  hills.  "  From  the  neck  or  back- 
bone," he  says,  "  near  the  Shashane  river  we  obtained 
a  view  of  the  finest  and  most  extensive  landscape  upon 
which  I  had  gazed  since  I  stood  on  the  ridge  of  the 
Katberg  and  looked  southward  upon  the  beautiful 
scenery  of  the  Kaffirland  frontier  of  Cape  Colony." 
On  all  sides  he  noted  the  evidences  that  this  beautiful 
region  had  within  a  few  years  supported  a  large 
population.  Alas  !  the  terrible  Matabele  had  swept 
them  away,  leaving  only  a  "  few  scared  Makalaka  who 
came  to  our  waggons  to  sell  corn."  Many  of  the 
Makalaka  had  taken  refuge  among  the  Bamangwato  ; 
the  rest  had  been  massacred,  only  the  little  children 
being  spared  to  be  brought  up  as  Matabele  warriors. 
He  did  not  visit  Mashonaland,  that  rich  farming  and 
gold-bearing  country  which  lies  far  to  the  east  and 
north-east  of  Buluwayo,  but  he  heard  much  about  it, 
and  thought  much  concerning  its  relations  to  the  future 
history  of  the  country. 

Mackenzie  was  confronted  by  the  fact  that  the 
earnest  and  devoted  labours  of  capable  missionaries 
for  fourteen  years  had  not  resulted  in  the  baptism 
even  of  one  convert  to  the  Christian  religion. 
Amongst  these  missionaries  there  was  William 
Sykes,  one  of  the  bravest  men  who  have  touched 
South  African  history.  It  was  he  who  on  one 
occasion  so  incurred  the  anger  of  Moselekatse,  the 
father  of   Lobengula,   that    everyone    expected  he 


THE  SECOND  PERIOD  AT  SHOSHONG  149 


would  be  put  to  death.  The  Matabele  were  amazed 
to  find  that  he  deliberately  went  on  a  personal  visit 
to  the  enraged  and  savage  monarch,  and  yet  returned 
in  safety.  "  I  said  to  them,"  he  reports,  "  as  I  had 
said  to  their  chief  on  the  occasion  of  his  anger,  that 
I  never  saw  the  man  that  I  feared.  I  always  did 
what  was  right  to  everyone  and  feared  no  one.  I 
would  do  what  was  right  to  Moselekatse,  but  would 
not  fear  him."  If  this  attitude  of  mind  had  gained 
the  respect  of  the  unscrupulous  Zulus,  it  had  at  least 
failed  to  soften  their  hostility  to  the  Gospel  of  Christ. 
In  1873  Mackenzie  could  find  no  increased  interest  in 
the  message  of  the  missionaries,  although  he  met  with 
a  few  who  knew  something  about  its  contents.  He 
attributes  the  toleration  of  the  missionaries  as  teachers 
by  the  Matabele  chief  to  the  simple  fact  that  none  of 
his  tribe  had  "  as  yet  announced  his  serious  intention 
of  abiding  by  the  law  of  Jesus  Christ  as  his  ruler  for 
life.  ...  So  far  as  I  could  judge,  it  would  at  present 
be  a  critical  business  for  either  chief  or  head-man  or 
common  soldier  to  make  such  an  announcement." 

Concerning  the  future  of  the  Matabele,  Mackenzie 
made  this  most  interesting  prophecy.  Just  because 
the  law  of  Christ  would  entirely  overturn  the  whole 
structure  of  Matabele  society  there  was  no  immediate 
hope  of  converting  them  ;  and  yet  he  adds,  "  As  a 
tribe  or  collection  of  tribes  they  are  probably  doomed  ; 
their  sins  as  a  tribe  have  been  very  great,  and  of  late 
have  been  aggravated  by  the  light  which  the  Gospel 
casts  on  their  cruelty  and  bloodthirstiness."  "  Is  it 
not  a  most  interesting  problem,"  he  proceeds.  "  What 
will  the  Almighty  do  with  the  Matabele  ?  For  my 
own  part,  I  look  on  with  the  profoundest  interest  to 
the  solution  of  this  question."  He  did  not  believe 
that  the  tribe  could  occupy  for  many  years  longer 
the  position  which  it  did.  What  would  the  end  be  ? 
It  must  be  remembered  that  this  letter  was  written  in 


I50  JOHN  MACKENZIE 


1873,  when  only  a  few  traders  and  missionaries  had 
visited  that  region,  and  yet  the  following  is  the  outline 
of  coming  events  as  they  presented  themselves  to  his 
eye.  First,  he  knows  that  there  is  gold  to  be  found 
in  Matabeleland,  even  far  to  the  north-east  of  Inyati. 
Further,  he  knows  that  there  is  a  rich  high-lying 
country  to  the  east  of  Matabeleland,  splendidly 
adapted  for  farming,  which  was  formerly  occupied 
by  the  Mashona,  but  was  now  unoccupied.  Many 
Transvaalers  to  his  knowledge  had  cast  eager  eyes 
upon  this  region,  and  an  attempt  had  been  made 
already  to  form  a  party  of  Boers  who  should  "  go 
there  and  occupy  the  country  by  force."  From  this 
quarter,  from  this  deserted  region,  Mackenzie  in  that 
year  conceived  that  the  Matabele  tribe  would  some 
day  meet  its  fate.  The  white  settlers  in  Mashonaland 
would  begin  to  influence  the  tribal  life  of  the  Mata- 
bele. The  question  would  then  be,  Can  they  "  abide 
this  shock  and  subside  into  a  peaceable  tribe,"  or  will 
they  "  with  blind  fury  rush  against  fate,"  in  which 
case  the  tribe  would  be  destroyed  ?  It  is  surely  a 
remarkable  fact  that  twenty  years  afterwards  this  fore- 
cast was  fulfilled  almost  to  the  letter.  It  was  the 
gold  and  farming  regions  of  Mashonaland  which  first 
were  occupied  by  the  Europeans  of  the  British  South 
African  Chartered  Company.  From  their  policy  in 
this  region  Lobengula  found  his  tribe  involved  in 
complications  which  led  to  war  ;  for  they  could  not 
"  abide  the  shock  "  of  a  European  community  on  their 
borders  ;  they  "  rushed  with  blind  fury  against  fate," 
and  were  destroyed.  Let  us  hope  that  the  other  part 
of  the  prophecy  is  now  being  fulfilled — "  In  the  de- 
struction of  the  tribe  there  will  no  doubt  be  found  a 
remnant — humbled  and  ill  at  ease — to  whom  the 
gospel  will  speak  with  a  power  which  it  never  before 
exercised." 

From  this  interesting  journey  Mackenzie  returned 


THE  SECOND  PERIOD  AT  SHOSHONG  151 


to  his  work  at  Shoshong.  Here  he  continued  his 
teaching  of  the  students  day  by  day,  and  his  close 
attention  to  the  general  work  of  the  station.  He  was 
able  to  report  in  the  letter  from  which  we  have  just 
quoted  that  seven  had  recently  been  admitted  to  the 
communion  of  the  church,  and  that  one  of  these  was 
a  Makalaka,  the  "  first  of  that  people  who  has  been 
baptised,  so  far  as  I  know."  He  adds  that  there  were 
others  whose  names  were  before  the  church,  and  whom 
they  hoped  before  long  to  receive  into  its  fellowship. 

The  atmosphere  of  politics  at  Shoshong  continued 
to  be  very  stormy.  In  the  end  of  1872  Khame  and 
Khamane  had  for  some  inscrutable  reason  sent  an 
invitation  to  their  father  Sekhome  to  return  to  Sho- 
shong. Up  to  this  time  the  two  brothers  had  for  the 
most  part  lived  together  in  mutual  affection  and  con- 
fidence, although  their  watchful  shepherd-missionary 
saw  some  grounds  for  anxiety  in  their  attitude  towards 
one  another.  But  as  soon  as  Sekhome  returned,  his 
crafty  and  subtle  mind  proceeded  to  find  a  way  of 
overthrowing  his  hated  eldest  son.  His  plan  now  was 
to  sow  the  seeds  and  encourage  the  growth  of  jealousy 
in  the  heart  of  Khamane,  the  younger  brother.  Alas  ! 
he  found  in  Khamane  a  disposition  which  he  was  able 
to  adapt  to  this  diabolical  purpose.  The  two  became 
very  confidential,  and  carried  out  various  little  schemes 
which  soon  revealed  to  the  whole  people  that  they 
were  allied  in  sentiment  against  Khame.  Khame 
bore  this  new  attack  with  his  usual  calmness  and 
dignity.  But  at  last,  at  the  end  of  the  year  1873, 
finding  himself  humiliated  before  the  whole  people 
by  the  attitude  of  his  father  and  brother,  he  quietly 
left  the  town  and  went  to  a  magnificent  fountain 
called  Serue,  about  70  miles  north-east  of  Shoshong, 
announcing  that  there  he  would  receive  any  of  his 
people  who  wished  to  follow  him.  To  the  conster- 
nation of  the  triumphant  plotters,  almost  the  entire 


152 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


town  moved  out,  and  tramped  to  the  camp  of  their 
beloved  chief.  Khame  got  the  best  and  the  most  of 
his  subjects  around  him,  and  was  their  actual  chief, 
without  having  to  fight  or  even  to  denounce  Sekhome 
and  Khamane.  Finding  that  his  position  at  Serue 
laid  him  open  to  attack  from  other  enemies,  he  re- 
solved to  make  a  still  more  daring  venture,  and  carried 
his  tribe  north  with  him  as  far  as  Lake  Ngami,  a 
distance  of  more  than  200  miles.  His  magnificent 
generosity  of  spirit  was  shown  even  on  this  journey, 
when,  although  a  number  of  his  cattle  were  carried 
off  by  the  emissaries  of  his  father,  he  allowed  a 
waggon,  with  a  most  valuable  load  belonging  to 
Khamane,  to  pass  through  his  ranks  unmolested.  In 
a  few  months,  however,  he  returned  with  a  small  force 
to  Shoshong  in  order  to  demand  the  property  which 
had  been  taken  from  him.  When  he  saw  how  weak 
was  the  influence  of  his  rival  relatives,  and  how  deep 
had  been  their  duplicity  and  unscrupulous  their 
jealousy,  he  decided,  during  the  brief  negotiations  of 
this  visit,  to  return  as  soon  as  he  could  with  all  his 
people  and  take  possession  of  the  capital  of  his  country 
once  more. 

This  purpose  was  carried  out  in  the  beginning  of 
the  following  year,  when  Khame  brought  the  entire 
portion  of  the  tribe  that  had  seceded  with  him  back  to 
Shoshong.  His  movements  were  of  course  not 
unknown  to  Sekhome.  The  latter  had  employed 
the  intervening  months  to  good  purpose  in  the  way  of 
consolidating  the  people  who  remained  under  him,  and 
animating  them  with  the  desire  to  resist  Khame's 
return.  He  sent  scouts  in  every  direction  to  discover 
the  line  of  Khame's  march,  so  that  he  himself  might 
choose  his  battle  ground.  Unfortunately  for  him  none 
of  his  scouts  discovered  the  direction  of  Khame's 
movements  until  the  latter  had  reached  Seshosho,  the 
main  fountain  from  which  the  town  derived  its  water 


THE  SECOND  PERIOD  AT  SHOSHONG  153 


and  from  which  it  was  named.  When  Khame  sent  a 
challenge  to  his  father  and  brother  to  come  and  fight 
for  the  possession  of  this  vital  spot,  they  realised  at 
once  that  his  strategy  had  given  him  the  advantage. 
The  story  of  the  fight  which  ensued  has  been  very 
vividly  told  in  the  volume  of  Mr  Hepburn's  letters, 
entitled  "  Twenty  Years  in  Khame's  Country."  The 
following  quotations  from  a  letter  by  Mrs  Mackenzie 
to  her  daughter  in  Edinburgh  will  also  help  to  put 
the  events  more  vividly  before  the  reader. 

We  arrived  home,  after  seeing  dear  Jamie  (their  third  son) 
off  on  his  long  journey,  on  Friday  the  29th  January.  We 
had  hoped  that  during  our  absence  Khame  would  have  come 
and  had  his  fight  over,  but  on  nearing  the  town  we  were 
surprised  to  see  how  quiet  the  outskirts  of  the  town  were — 
no  cattle,  no  goats  or  sheep  or  herds,  or  little  children  playing. 
We  at  once  suspected  what  was  going  on.  Presently  one 
of  the  traders  came  out  to  meet  us,  and  told  us  that  Khame 
and  his  army  were  close  at  hand,  that  the  women  were  in  the 
mountain  ;  and  we  could  see  along  the  mountain  sides  groups 
of  armed  men  on  the  watch.  This  was  not  a  pleasant 
welcome,  but  it  was  what  God  had  prepared  for  us. 

Papa  had  a  great  deal  of  watching  both  by  day  and  night ; 
and  all  the  while  we  were  watching  for  the  fight.  On 
Tuesday  evening  the  war-cry  resounded.  Mr  and  Mrs 
Hepburn  and  their  two  children  came  over  for  safety  and 
for  company  too.  Their  house  is  in  a  very  exposed  position. 
Khamane's  and  Sekhome's  wives  also  came  for  safety ;  they 
occupied  the  dining-room.  On  Wednesday  morning  we 
heard  guns  up  the  kloof,  and  before  we  knew  what  we  were 
about  Khamane's  men  were  flying  "helter-skelter"  down 
the  kloof,  followed  by  Khame's  men  firing  at  them  with 
all  their  might.  It  was  a  dreadful  hour,  for  we  knew  that 
all  these  bullets  were  not  being  fired  for  nothing.  In  a 
trice  Khame's  people  were  victorious  and  in  possession  of 
the  town.  Sekhome  and  Khamane  fled  to  the  mountain 
with  a  number  of  their  people.  At  another  part  of  the 
mountain  Khame,  who  had  only  some  of  the  old  men  and 
boys  with  him,  fell  into  the  hands  of  another  part  of 
Sekhome's  army  and  fared  rather  badly,  and  had  to  retreat ; 
but  of  course  the  best  of  his  people  were  here  at  the  most 


154 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


important  part  of  the  fight.  Khame  came  in  the  next 
day,  looking  very  thin  and  haggard.  He  has  had  a  great 
deal  of  toil  and  anxiety,  and  longs  for  peace.  I  hope  it 
is  near  at  hand  now.  Still  the  fighting  is  not  over,  and 
a  good  many  matters  have  yet  to  be  settled. 

But  I  must  tell  you  of  the  danger  into  which  dear  Papa 
was  thrown.  That  morning,  when  the  alarm  was  raised, 
our  two  herds  fied.  Papa  and  some  of  the  students  took 
the  cattle  up  the  kloof  to  give  them  water ;  before  they 
had  done  so  they  found  themselves  in  the  midst  of  the 
firing.  Of  course  both  parties  knew  them  and  would  not 
willingly  have  sent  a  bullet  their  way,  but  in  a  time  of 
excitement,  and  among  so  many  "  bad  shots,"  we  look 
upon  it  as  a  great  mercy  that  no  harm  came  to  them. 
We  shall  not  soon  forget  that  day,  nor  the  protection 
afforded  us  all  by  our  dear  Heavenly  Father. 

The  poor  wounded  fellows  soon  found  their  way  to  our 
house,  and  Mr  Hepburn  and  Papa  have  a  busy  time  attending 
to  them.  There  are  nine  now.  One  died  :  poor  fellow,  he 
was  one  of  Khame's  most  faithful  men.  One  belongs  to 
Sekhome's  party.  Papa,  Mr  Hepburn,  and  some  of  the 
students  went  and  buried  some  of  the  dead. 

Among  Khame's  men  we  see  some  nice  familiar  faces 
who  used  to  be  so  earnest  in  learning  to  read  and  write. 
Khame  has  brought  a  message  from  the  chief  of  the  Lake 
Ngami  people  begging  for  a  missionary  to  come  and  teach 
them.  It  is  such  an  unhealthy  place  that  it  is  not  certain  if 
a  European  could  live  there  for  any  length  of  time. 

I  am  gradually  getting  stronger,  but  I  cannot  yet  do  as 
much  as  I  used  to.  What  with  the  children's  illness,  the 
number  of  refugees  in  and  around  the  house,  the  wounded 
people  and  their  attendants,  the  bolting  of  my  cook,  and 
the  excitement  on  the  top  of  our  arriving  off  a  journey 
and  finding  almost  everything  in  confusion  and  dirty,  the 
last  twelve  days  seem  like  a  month,  and  many  a  time  I  have 
not  known  where  to  put  myself  from  sheer  fatigue.  As  you 
may  imagine.  Papa  has  had  his  share  of  it  all  too.  He 
and  Mr  Hepburn  went  up  to  see  Sekhome  and  Khamane 
in  their  place  of  refuge.  They  were  detained  longer  than 
they  expected,  and  had  to  come  down  the  mountain  in 
the  dark.  It  was  impossible  to  ride,  the  path  being  so 
steep  and  rugged,  so  they  had  to  walk  and  lead  their 
horses.    Papa  fell,  and  hurt  his  back  on  a  big  stone.  He 


THE  SECOND  PERIOD  AT  SHOSHONG  155 


did  not  feel  that  so  very  much ;  but  on  Sunday  he  went 
with  one  of  the  students  to  hold  service  at  a  village  three 
or  four  miles  off.  The  people  were  in  their  retreat  on 
the  mountain,  and  though  they  came  half  way  to  meet 
them,  he  had  to  climb  a  good  way  up  the  rough  mountain, 
and  that  made  his  back  a  good  deal  worse. 

Once  more,  then,  Khame  was  seated  in  authority 
and  power  at  Shoshong,  and  once  more  he  behaved 
with  extraordinary  patience  and  generosity  towards 
his  father  and  brother.  The  extent  and  almost 
startling  nature  of  this  generosity  can  only  appear 
when  we  realise,  on  the  one  hand,  that  no  native 
chief  scrupled  to  take  the  lives  of  all  rivals,  however 
close  the  relationship  to  himself,  that  it  seemed  to  be 
a  part  of  his  function  as  a  king  to  secure  his  kingship 
in  this  fashion  ;  and,  on  the  other  hand,  that  Sekhome 
and  Khamane  had  repeatedly  broken  the  most  solemn 
vows  of  loyalty,  plotted  in  the  most  deliberate  fashion 
for  the  taking  of  Khame's  life,  and,  as  we  have  seen, 
provoked  civil  war  on  more  than  one  occasion,  in  order 
to  secure  their  ends.  Surely  this  South  African  native 
who,  as  a  young  man,  broke  with  all  the  heathen 
customs  of  his  life  absolutely  and  finally,  and  who 
throughout  his  career  refused  to  dip  his  hands  in 
the  blood  of  any  relative  to  secure  himself  in  the 
chieftainship,  who  yet  when  occasion  arose  manifested 
in  the  most  trying  circumstances  true  physical  courage 
and  noble  moral  heroism,  must  stand  out  as  one  of  the 
most  striking  trophies  ever  won  by  the  Christian 
religion  upon  the  battle-ground  with  heathenism. 

Throughout  these  years  of  storm  and  unrest  in  the 
political  life  of  the  Bamangwato,  the  two  missionaries, 
John  Mackenzie  and  J.  D.  Hepburn,  carried  on  their 
work  steadily  and  persistently.  Mackenzie  was 
now  most  absorbed  in  the  work  of  teaching  the 
students  of  the  Moffat  Institution,  and  for  a  consider- 
able period  had  to  spend  time  and  strength  in  putting 


156 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


up  houses  for  the  students  and  a  class-room.  At  the 
same  time  the  work  of  preaching^  Sunday  by  Sunday 
in  the  church  and  in  the  king's  khotla  to  the  natives, 
as  well  as  in  the  missionary's  house  to  the  white  men, 
the  visiting  of  surrounding  villages  for  the  same  pur- 
pose, the  incalculable  miscellaneous  work  connected 
with  interviews  sought  by  white  men  and  natives, 
alike  on  business  affairs  and  on  problems  of  spiritual 
experience,  were  continued  without  intermission.  Mac- 
kenzie's work  as  tutor  necessitated  the  spending  of 
many  hours  in  the  study  and  in  the  class-room  day 
by  day  ;  and  this  sedentary  life  made  it  necessary  for 
him,  for  the  first  time  in  many  years,  deliberately  to 
seek  active  exercise  in  order  to  retain  his  health.  As 
long  as  the  climate  spared  several  horses  which  he 
had  brought  from  the  south  with  him,  horse-riding 
was  his  favourite  recreation  of  an  afternoon  ;  but  the 
terrific  scourge,  known  bluntly  in  South  Africa  as 
"  horse-sickness,"  swept  them  away,  even  at  last 
carrying  off  the  hardiest  and  most  beautiful  horse  he 
ever  possessed. 

The  life  of  the  Christian  church  prospered  during 
these  years  at  Shoshong.  Before  his  visit  to  England 
Mackenzie  had  found  it  necessary,  as  we  have  seen,  to 
be  very  careful  about  the  formal  establishment  ■  of  a 
church  communion.  But  shortly  after  his  return  in 
'7 1 ,  when  the  true  Christian  zeal  and  faith  of  so  many 
had  been  proved,  he  saw  no  reason  for  deferring  this 
act.  It  was  with  a  peculiarly  solemn  joy  that  he 
therefore  spread  the  table  of  the  Lord,  and  for  the 
first  time  welcomed  to  that  feast  of  the  soul  a  small 
group  of  the  Bamangwato  people.  Amongst  them, 
of  course,  were  Khame  and  his  brother  Khamane. 
When  the  troubles  came  later  which  divided  the  two 
brothers  from  one  another,  Mackenzie  repeatedly  sum- 
moned them  to  his  study,  "  questioned  them,  reasoned 
with  them,  prayed  with  them,  and  fondly  hoped  the 


THE  SECOND  PERIOD  AT  SHOSHONG  157 


disagreement  could  blow  over."  We  have  already 
seen  that  this  fraternal  rivalry  and  jealousy,  which  in 
their  years  of  adversity  had  been  impossible,  broke 
out  into  great  bitterness  and  open  strife  when  the 
years  of  prosperity  had  come.  Then  the  missionaries 
had  the  hard  task  of  "  disciplining  "  both  Khame  and 
Khamane.  In  spite  of  this  severe  blow,  the  church 
after  a  while  rallied  again  ;  more  members  were  re- 
ceived, Khame  himself  returned  into  full  fellowship  ; 
and  gradually  such  momentum  was  gained  that,  in 
later  years,  especially  under  Mr  Hepburn's  last  period 
of  ardent  service,  the  membership  of  the  church 
increased  with  great  rapidity. 

It  would  be  foolish  to  hide  and  perhaps  unwise  to 
omit  the  fact  that  missionaries  in  Bechuanaland  were 
sometimes  in  great  anxiety  regarding  their  own 
domestic  affairs.  Their  salary  was  never  supposed 
to  be  a  salary,  but  was  calculated  on  the  basis  of  a 
more  or  less  definite  experience  as  to  the  bare  amount 
necessary  for  buying  food  and  clothing.  Travelling 
expenses  incurred  in  the  direct  service  of  the  society 
were  paid  for  as  extra.  But  it  must  be  remembered 
that  the  price  of  food-stuffs  and  charges  for  trans- 
portation, alike  of  food  and  all  other  goods,  varied 
much,  and  these  variations  caused  oftentimes  deep 
care.  At  one  time  a  missionary's  small  family,  out 
of  their  small  salary,  paid  a  year  for  soap  alone. 

Corn  had  to  be  brought  by  the  missionary  a  month's 
journey,  and  was  paid  for  at  the  rate  of  thirty  shillings 
or  more  for  180  lbs.  When  at  last  it  arrived  at  the 
mission  station  this  corn  had  to  be  washed  and 
cleaned,  ground  and  sifted — "  if  we  can  afford  to  sift 
it,"  as  one  said — under  the  direction  and  constant 
superintendence  of  the  missionary  and  his  wife.  No 
missionary  in  Bechuanaland  had  a  private  income,  and 
there  were  no  perquisites.  The  only  possible  way  of 
easing  what  was  sometimes  acute  distress  was  to  be 


158  JOHN  MACKENZIE 


found  in  the  selling  of  a  cow  or  a  few  trained  oxen 
for  a  few  pounds.  This,  however,  was  a  plan  which 
most  missionaries  adopted  very  reluctantly,  for  the 
Society  had  a  strict  law  against  trading,  a  law  which 
had  to  be  enforced  on  one  occasion  by  the  expulsion 
of  a  member  of  their  staff.  Nevertheless  the  most 
sensitive  missionary  saw  clearly  that,  if  he  were 
reasonably  careful  of  the  cattle  and  sheep  which  he 
was  compelled  to  own,  he  must  have  from  time  to 
time  a  few  animals  which  he  could  dispose  of  If  he 
did  not  deliberately  set  himself  to  increase  his  posses- 
sions in  live  stock  rapidly,  for  the  express  purpose  of 
selling  them  and  making  money,  so  becoming  a 
farmer  in  reality,  any  small  transactions  which  came 
in  his  way  were  viewed  as  not  only  legitimate  but 
necessary.  In  the  case  of  most  missionaries,  and 
certainly  of  Mackenzie,  this  procedure  was  always  so 
reluctantly  employed  as  to  do  very  little  towards 
easing  the  burden  of  the  household. 

During  these  years  it  should  also  be  added  that 
Mackenzie  had  more  than  once  to  face  the  sorrow  of 
parting  from  his  children  as  he  sent  them  home  for 
their  education. 

In  the  year  1875  Mackenzie  once  more  received  a 
very  earnest  call  to  become  the  minister  of  a  church 
in  Cape  Colony.  This  call  came  from  Trinity  Church, 
Grahamstown,  and  presented  some  very  attractive 
features.  In  the  first  place  Grahamstown  is  one  of 
the  pleasantest  of  South  African  centres,  and  has  the 
great  advantage  of  possessing  schools  of  a  high  order, 
which  would  have  exactly  suited  the  parental  hearts 
of  the  Mackenzies.  Moreover,  the  salary  which  they 
offered  amounted  to  about  three  times  that  which  he 
was  receiving  as  a  missionary.  None  of  these  things 
moved  him,  and  yet  he  took  a  fortnight  to  consider 
before  he  declined  the  offer.  His  hesitation  was 
caused  by  the  fact  that  for  several  years  there  had 


THE  SECOND  PERIOD  AT  SHOSHONG  159 


been  disagreeable  differences  of  opinion  between  the 
Bechuanaland  missionaries  and  their  Directors  in 
London.  These  differences  of  opinion  had  very 
seriously  interfered  with  the  development  of  the 
work  in  several  most  important  portions  of  the 
field.  This  is  not  the  place  to  discuss  the  merits 
of  the  controversy  which  proceeded  between  London 
and  Bechuanaland.  Suffice  it  to  say,  that  on  both 
sides  of  the  ocean  it  caused  deep  distress.  Nothing 
could  prove  the  pain  of  Mackenzie's  mind  more  than 
the  fact  that,  with  all  his  passionate  devotion  to  the 
missionary  life,  and  his  profound  love  for  his  own 
Society,  he  actually  considered  for  a  fortnight  the 
possibility  of  accepting  the  pastorate  over  a  European 
congregation.  In  writing  on  this  matter  (October 
29,  1875),  he  said,  "I  have  refused  similar  offers 
without  one  day's  consideration.  But  I  am  free  to 
admit  to  you  in  this  quiet  way,  that  the  manner  in 
which  the  affairs  of  this  mission  have  been  recently 
conducted  has  been  a  great  grief  to  me.  It  is  only 
deep  love  to  the  work  itself — in  spite  of  everything 
else — that  has  kept  me  where  I  am." 


CHAPTER  VI 


*  BY-PRODUCTS  '  OF  A  MISSIONARY'S  CAREER 
(1871-1876) 

The  number  of  traders  and  hunters  who  frequented 
Shoshong  increased  year  by  year ;  indeed  "  Khame's 
town  "  had  come  to  be  considered,  in  a  small  way,  as 
an  emporium.  Several  roads  from  the  south  converged 
upon  it,  and  from  that  meeting  -  point  the  roads 
diverged  again  northwards,  making  it  a  natural  ren- 
dezvous and  a  convenient  base  of  supplies.  Some 
large  wholesale  stores  were  established  here,  and  a 
number  of  traders  put  up  more  or  less  permanent 
houses  and  settled  down  for  years.  This  entailed  a 
large  amount  of  work  upon  the  missionaries  at  that 
station.  For  example,  Mackenzie  acted  throughout 
his  residence  at  Shoshong  as  the  postmaster.  To  him 
the  post-bag  was  always  delivered,  and  through  him 
travellers  in  the  north  sent  their  letters  southwards. 
This  work,  while  it  entailed  a  considerable  amount  of 
time  and  trouble,  was  very  agreeable  to  him  in  that 
it  brought  him  into  personal  relations  with  almost 
every  one  of  the  white  men.  Oftentimes  traders  fell 
ill,  either  at  Shoshong  or  in  their  journeyings,  and  a 
number  of  these  were  nursed  through  their  sickness 
by  both  Mackenzie  and  his  wife.  Several  men 
were  even  taken  into  their  house,  and  were  brought 
through  dangerous  crises  only  by  the  very  closest 
attention.  Some  of  those  who  were  thus  helped  back 
to  life  showed  their  affection  and  gratitude  afterwards 
in  most  touching  ways.  It  is  an  amusing  fact  that 
some  of  the  traders  found  it  necessary  even  to  transmit 
160 


MISSIONARY  "  BY-PRODUCTS  "  i6i 


money  through  the  missionary.  A  trader,  for  instance 
who  desired  to  send  £20  to  distant  relatives  had  no 
means  of  doing  so  except  by  sending  a  draft  for  that 
amount  to  Mackenzie,  and  asking  him  to  send  another 
draft  for  that  amount  to  the  trader's  friends.  None  of 
the  inland  business  men's  drafts  were  at  that  time 
negotiable  at  Cape  Town,  while  those  of  the  mission- 
aries, because  their  Treasurer  lived  there,  were  always 
immediately  honoured. 

In  addition  to  all  this  kind  of  work  there  must  be 
named  that  which  in  some  ways  cost  more  than  any 
other.  A  large  proportion  of  the  white  men  who 
went  into  the  interior,  especially  those  who  tried  to 
reach  the  Zambesi,  died  of  fever.  Some,  of  course, 
died  from  accident  and  other  causes.  When  Mackenzie 
could  discover  the  names  and  addresses  of  the  relatives 
of  any  of  these,  he  always  immediately  wrote  to  them 
announcing  their  sad  bereavement.  His  letters  were 
very  considerate  and  very  tender.  As  an  illustration 
of  the  frequency  of  these  events,  the  following  extract 
may  be  given  from  a  letter  announcing  the  death  of  a 
young  Scotchman  in  the  year  1876. 

Another  young  lad  called  C  ,  a  young  Englishman, 

died  at  the  same  time.  Three  died  some  time  before ;  and 
three  gentlemen,  who  are  now  on  this  station  on  their  way 
southwards,  have  made  a  narrow  escape.  One  of  the  three 
is  a  trader ;  he  has  not  been  successful,  and  declares  he  must 
return  at  once  to  try  and  pay  his  debts.  If  he  does — con- 
trary to  all  advice — he  will  certainly  pay  the  penalty  with  his 
life. 

It  came  to  be  almo.st  an  understood  thing  that 
where  there  was  any  property  or  money  belonging  to 
a  traveller  who  died,  Mackenzie  should  take  charge  of 
it  and  transmit  it  to  his  heirs.  Where  the  deceased 
was  a  trader,  whose  affairs  had  been  entangled  with 
those  of  other  men,  this  often  entailed  a  large  amount 
of  intricate  and  puzzling  work.    He  used,  of  course,  the 

I- 


l62 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


utmost  care,  as  he  more  than  once  explained,  to  save 
expense  and  to  send  home  as  much  as  possible.  In 
return  for  all  this  Mackenzie  received  letters  full  of  the 
warmest  gratitude  for  his  labour  of  love,  and  in  several 
cases  this  form  of  service  brought  him  the  rich  reward 
of  lifelong  and  most  valuable  friendships.  The  follow- 
ing letters  reveal  the  manner  and  spirit  in  which  he 
carried  his  sacred  and  delicate  task.  They  refer  to 
the  death  of  Mr  Frank  Oates,  who  went  to  travel  in 
Central  South  Africa  as  a  naturalist.  His  travels  and 
scientific  observations  were  afterwards  described  in  a 
memoir  by  his  brother,  Mr  Charles  G.  Oates. 

Shoshong,  \5t  March  1875. 

Mrs  Oates, 

Meanwoodside,  Leeds. 

Madam,  — It  is  not  long  since  a  letter  from  your  son, 
Mr  Frank  Oates,  passed  through  my  hands,  on  its  way  to 
England.  We  expected  soon  to  have  the  pleasure  of  again 
seeing  him  here,  on  his  way  out  from  the  Victoria  Falls.  But 
his  journey  to  the  Zambesi  had  been  delayed  for  one  reason  and 
another,  until  the  unhealthy  season  of  the  year  had  arrived. 
Your  son,  however,  reached  the  Falls  in  safety,  and  left  the 
Zambesi  in  good  health.  But  bad  news  concerning  him  has 
just  reached  us  from  the  Zambesi  road — news  which  I  pray 
God  to  support  you  to  hear.  Mr  Oates  was  seized  with 
fever  on  his  way  out  from  the  Zambesi,  was  ill  twelve  days, 
and  then,  near  to  the  Makalaka  Towns,  and  on  the  5th  of 
February,  he  succumbed  to  the  fever  and  died.  Dr  Brad- 
shaw,  also  travelling  in  the  interior,  happened  to  be  in  the 
neighbourhood  at  the  time  and  attended  your  son,  both  as 
medical  adviser  and  companion.  It  will  be  a  great  satisfac- 
tion to  you  to  know  that  this  gentleman  was  with  your  son 
to  the  last  and  that  he  afterwards  superintended  his  interment. 

It  is  not.  Madam,  for  a  perfect  stranger  like  myself  to  in- 
termeddle with  a  grief  so  great  and  so  sacred  as  yours.  While 
leaving  you  and  yours  to  drink  the  bitter  cup  thus  suddenly 
presented  to  you,  I  would  earnestly  pray  that  in  your  dark- 
ness and  sorrow,  your  mind  may  be  visited  by  many  cheering 
Christian  thoughts — thoughts  which,  like  balm,  heal  the 
wounded  heart  and  stricken  spirit. 


MISSIONARY  "  BY-PRODUCTS  "  163 


Dr  Bradshaw  brought  out  Mr  Oates's  waggon  to  this  place, 
and  handed  over  to  me  his  papers  and  personal  effects.  His 
agents  in  the  interior  have  requested  me  to  act  as  Trustee 
and  Executor  as  regards  the  settlement  of  Mr  Oates's  affairs 
in  this  part  of  the  country ;  and  in  the  circumstances  I  have 
consented  to  do  so.  I  may  explain  to  you  that  there  are 
only  two  classes  of  Europeans  resident  in  Bechuanaland — 
traders  and  missionaries.  It  was  thought  that  it  would  be 
most  satisfactory  to  place  your  son's  affairs  in  the  hands  of 
one  not  in  any  way  connected  with  business. — I  remain, 
Madam,  ever  yours  sincerely,  John  Mackenzie. 

KuRUMAN,  Nov.  I,  1875. 

Charles  G.  Gates,  Esq. 

My  Dear  Sir, — In  my  last  letter  to  you  (a  letter  on 
business,  dated  "  Shoshong,  24th  August  1875,")  I  expressed 
the  hope  that  I  should  be  soon  able  to  report  the  final  settle- 
ment of  your  late  brother's  affairs  in  the  interior.  "  Soon  " 
admits  of  degrees ;  and  I  am  afraid  that  what  we  out  here 
have  come  to  regard  as  "  soon  "  in  the  country  of  the  ox- 
waggon,  will  be  held  to  be  slow  enough  in  England.  How- 
ever, before  leaving  Shoshong  in  September,  I  was  able  to 
settle  everthing  connected  with  your  late  brother's  accounts. 

I  am  here  attending  the  meetings  of  our  District  Com- 
mittee of  Missionaries,  where  we  assemble  to  discuss  matters 
connected  with  our  work.  A  letter  from  your  brother  (Mr 
W.  E.  Gates,  then  in  South  Africa),  was  sent  after  me  to  this 
place.  Your  brother  mentioned  his  intention  of  paying  a 
visit  to  that  spot  which  will  be  always  so  sacred  in  you 
estimation.  Lonely  the  spot  no  doubt  is  in  a  certain  sense  ; 
but  in  another,  your  brother's  grave  is  surrounded  by  all  the 
activities  of  the  great  Creator  and  Father  of  all.  Flowers 
will  bloom  around  it,  though  not  planted  by  mortal  hand  ; 
birds  will  sing  over  it  and  never  weary  in  repeating  the  sweet 
notes  which  Nature  has  taught  them.  I  have  not  been  there 
myself,  but  I  have  no  doubt  the  naturalist  would  not  think 
your  brother's  grave  a  lonely  spot,  whilst  to  the  Christian, 
such  a  spot  is  the  quiet  resting-place  to  which  the  body  sank 
when  the  spirit  was  called  away  by  God  the  Father. 

I  am  writing  to  your  brother  to  Natal ;  I  shall  be  back  at 
Shoshong  before  he  will  be  there,  and  any  assistance  I  can 
render  him  will  be  most  cheerfully  given. — I  am,  ever 
sincerely  yours,  John  Mackenzie. 


i64  JOHN  MACKENZIE 


Mackenzie's  correspondence  contains  a  large  number 
of  letters  from  the  traders  and  travellers  with  whom  he 
became  intimate  at  Shoshong.  He  had  the  faculty  of 
drawing  men  to  himself ;  they  would  open  their  hearts 
to  him,  and  receive  from  him  the  very  word  of  warning 
and  rebuke,  of  encouragement  and  consolation  which 
they  needed.  Their  letters  make  references  to  drink, 
to  their  success  or  failure  in  business,  to  the  movements 
of  other  traders  ;  or  they  inquire  about  letters,  or  ask 
help  in  a  business  transaction  with  the  chief  They 
breathe  unanimous  affection  and  confidence  towards 
that  man  whom  God  had  set  down  at  Shoshong. 

This  love  of  so  many  South  African  traders  and 
travellers  for  a  missionary  found  expression,  not  only 
in  letters,  but  sometimes  in  beautiful  deeds  of  con- 
siderate wisdom,  and  sometimes  in  ways  that  were  at 
once  pathetic  and  odd.  It  would  be  out  of  place,  of 
course,  to  enter  into  particulars.  But  one  case  can, 
without  any  danger  of  harm,  be  briefly  described. 

Among  the  hunting  traders  who  often  visited  Sho- 
shong was  an  Irishman,  known  in  South  Africa  under 
the  assumed  name  of  Fitzgerald.  He  was  quite  illiterate 
but  very  intelligent,  tall,  handsome,  and  powerful.  He 
had  formed  drinking  habits  which  he  found  it  very 
hard  to  throw  off.  For  a  long  time  he  made  Shoshong 
his  head-quarters  and  became  most  curiously  and  deeply 
attached  to  Mackenzie.  The  latter  knew  how  to  deal 
with  such  a  man,  to  rebuke  his  weakness  and  rouse 
his  manliness,  give  him  condemnation  and  hope  at  the 
same  time.  Fitzgerald  on  one  occasion  quarrelled  with 
a  number  of  natives,  who  attacked  him  and  nearly 
wrenched  an  arm  off  This  wounded  arm  he  brought 
to  the  missionary  to  be  doctored,  and  for  a  long  while 
it  needed  close  attention.  Sometimes,  when  Mackenzie 
was  absent,  Mrs  Mackenzie  would  bring  the  rags  and 
medicines  and  assist  him  in  the  dressing  of  the  wound. 
"  This,"  we  are  told,  "  went  straight  to  Fitzgerald's 


MISSIONARY  "BY-PRODUCTS"  165 


heart,  and  in  many  ways  and  for  years  he  showed  that 
he  had  not  forgotten  it."  The  impulsive  generosity  of 
the  man,  and  his  determination  to  defend  Mackenzie 
against  danger  is  well  illustrated  by  the  following 
incident,  which  the  latter  relates. 

On  one  occasion  I  let  Mr  C  (another  trader)  have  a 

little  poison  to  kill  rats  in  his  waggon.  The  poison  was  used 
carelessly,  and  caused  the  death  of  a  native's  dog.  Macheng 

came  to  C  and  demanded  the  medicine  with  which  he 

had  "  bewitched,"  or  killed,  the  dog,  adding  that  only  rascals 
had  such  things  in  their  possession.   "  Why,  I  have  none  in  my 

possession,"  said  C  ,  not  liking  the  chiefs  way  of  putting 

it ;  "  and  the  little  I  had  I  got  from  Mr   "  Mackenzie, 

he  was  going  to  say,  but  he  was  interrupted  by  Fitzgerald, 
who  said,  "  From  me,  of  course  ;  you  know  you  got  it  from 
me  " ;  adding,  in  English,  "  You  dare  to  say  you  got  it  from 
Mr  Mackenzie  ! "    And  then  again,  to  the  chief,     I  gave 

C  a  little  poison,  Chief ;  it  was  only  to  kill  rats."  "  You 

must  pay  a  musket  as  a  fine,  Marikwe,"  was  Macheng's 
answer.  The  fine  was  paid,  and  some  time  had  passed  before 
I  heard  anything  of  it. 

Of  course,  there  was  no  real  need  of  concealing  from 
Macheng  the  fact  that  the  missionary  kept  a  supply 
of  poison  on  his  premises  ;  that  was  already  well 
known,  as  it  had  been  used  on  more  than  one 
occasion  for  the  purpose  of  destroying  wild  beasts. 
Fitzgerald  made  many  thousands  of  pounds,  but 
always  squandered  them,  and  he  died  at  last,  not 
only  a  poor  man,  but  in  debt.  His  end,  like  that 
of  so  many  travellers  who  perished  in  South  Central 
Africa,  was  tragic.  He  was  far  east,  on  the  banks  of 
the  Limpopo,  where  he  had  been  trading,  when  he 
was  seized  with  a  fatal  sickness.  There  was  no  white 
man  with  him  ;  indeed,  his  last  intercourse  with  a 
white  man  had  ended  in  a  quarrel  at  Shoshong,  when 
he  received  a  blow  which,  rumour  said,  hastened  his 
death.  As  soon  as  he  felt  seriously  ill,  he  lay  down 
in  his  waggon  and  said  to  his  servant,  "  Only  take  me, 


166  JOHN  MACKENZIE 


take  me  quickly,  to  Mackenzie."  Alas,  "poor  Fitz's  " 
strength  was  already  well-nigh  gone,  and  while  the  slow 
oxen  dragged  him,  jolting  on  the  rough  waggon  road, 
towards  the  one  man  whom  he  loved  and  trusted  most, 
death  came  upon  him. 

One  of  the  means  by  which  Mackenzie  at  once 
served  the  white  men  and  gained  ascendancy  over 
them  was  the  Sunday  afternoon  meeting  which  he 
held  in  his  own  parlour.  Even  when  there  were  only 
two  or  three  traders  in  the  town  they  were  invited  to 
the  service.  Here  Mackenzie  gave  out  psalms  and 
hymns  to  be  sung,  read  the  scriptures,  prayed,  and 
gave  a  brief  but  very  earnest  and  often  solemn 
address.  He  knew  the  temptations,  hardships,  and 
disappointments  which  these  men  had  to  meet,  and 
he  spoke  directly  to  their  moral  and  spiritual  needs. 
It  was  a  bright  spot  in  many  a  man's  life,  to  which  he 
looked  forward  and  backward  when  away  on  his  long 
monotonous  waggon  journey.  Men  still  live  who 
speak  of  it  with  emotion  and  gratitude.  The  follow- 
ing extract  from  Captain  Parker  Gilmore's  "  The 
Great  Thirst  Land,"  records,  in  a  way  peculiar  to 
himself,  the  impressions  which  many  others  carried 
away  from  Mackenzie's  Sunday  afternoon  services  for 
the  white  people  at  Shoshong. 

Mr  Mackenzie  is  a  tall,  square-built  man,  about  5  ft. 
1 1  in.  in  height,  fair  in  complexion,  genial  in  countenance, 
with  great  strength  of  character  stamped  on  his  brow,  and  an 
unmistakable  Highlander,  speaking  the  English  language 
with  wonderful  purity  and  intonation.  Mr  Hepburn  is 
taller  but  slighter,  a  Northumberland  man,  I  should  think, 
with  great  energy  and  resolution,  and  gifted  with  more  than 
ordinary  eloquence.  The  twain  are  a  host  in  themselves  ; 
and  while  our  country  is  represented  by  men  of  their  type  it 
is  bound  to  be  honoured,  in  whatever  part  of  the  earth  their 
labours  are  carried  on.  .  .  . 

Sunday  came  round  in  course  of  time,  and  I  could  have 
known  the  day  from  all  others,  by  the  air  of  rest  that  lay  over 
Shoshong.    All  was  as  peaceful  as  the  village  homes  we 


MISSIONARY     BY-PRODUCTS  "  167 


knew  in  our  youth,  on  such  occasions.  Missionary  labour 
may  be  slow  in  telling  in  South  Africa,  especially  among  the 
tribes  so  far  to  the  north,  but  when  our  religion  is  represented 
by  such  painstaking,  enduring  men  as  Mr  Hepburn  and  Mr 
Mackenzie,  it  is  bound  to  succeed  in  the  end. 

I  shall  never  forget  my  Sunday  afternoon  at  Shoshong. 
Mr  Mackenzie  and  Mr  Hepburn  had  held  service  among  the 
natives  in  the  morning,  but  intended  having  prayers  and  a 
short  discourse  at  three  o'clock  in  their  own  house  for  those 
Europeans  w^ho  chose  to  come.  Not  one  of  them  did  not 
come  ;  and  in  the  little  parlour,  where  worship  was  held,  the 
presence  of  the  Almighty  might  almost  have  been  felt.  In 
my  early  life  I  had  regarded  religion  lightly,  but  when  I 
looked  upon  half-a-dozen  stalwart  men  accustomed  to  every- 
day hardship  and  danger  of  life,  our  worthy  pastor's  children 
and  a  few  servants,  giving  their  whole  soul  to  what  they  were 
engaged  in,  I  more  forcibly  felt  than  ever  I  did  before  that 
there  was  a  great  God  above  us — One  who  invited  our 
adoration  and  love.  The  prayer  was  earnest,  and  such  as 
could  have  been  desired,  the  address  was  strictly  applicable 
to  the  occasion.  There  was  no  flowing  language.  There 
were  no  marvellous  similes,  it  was  exactly  what  was  wanted, 
and  brought  peace  to  the  Hstener's  heart. 

That  was  the  most  solemn  Sunday  I  ever  passed.  No 
cant  or  hypocrisy  was  here  ;  what  I  heard  was  an  exhorta- 
tion from  an  earnest,  true,  reflecting  man,  endeavouring  to 
make  his  fellow  creatures  feel  the  depth  and  height  of 
religion,  and  the  consolation  they  could  derive  from  it. 

Another  phase  of  Mackenzie's  work  among  the 
Europeans  v^as  described  in  a  letter  written  in  later 
years  to  set  forth  his  experience  of  the  work  of  a 
British  Resident  at  the  confluence  of  civilisation  and 
heathenism. 

When  I  was  residing  there  (at  Shoshong),  I  used  to 
discharge  many  of  the  duties  of  such  an  officer.  Several 
British  subjects  dying  in  the  interior,  their  estates  were 
handed  over  to  me,  and  their  affairs  settled  in  each  case  to 
the  satisfaction  of  relatives  residing  at  a  distance.  Sekhome, 
Macheng,  and  Khame,  in  succession  sanctioned  the  sitting  of 
a  Court  of  Europeans  to  try  cases  which,  to  use  their  own 
expression,  would  baffle  the  chief  by  himself.    For  years  I 


i68  JOHN  MACKENZIE 


acted  as  Chairman  or  President  of  that  Court,  assisted  by 
Mr  Hepburn,  my  fellow  missionary.  It  was  in  reality  a 
court  of  arbitration  ;  the  first  question  put  to  the  parties 
being,  "  Will  you  agree  to  the  decision  of  this  court,  what- 
ever it  may  be,  and  regard  it  as  final  ?  "  When  they  answered 
in  the  affirmative  our  course  was  clear — to  go  forward  and 
do  our  best  to  give  a  just  decision.  The  whole  thing  was 
in  any  instance  explained  to  the  chief,  as  far  as  he  could 
understand  it ;  and  where  property  had  to  be  seized  and 
caused  to  change  hands,  it  was  of  course  the  chiefs  power 
which  was  called  into  requisition.  Mr  Hepburn  and  I 
declined  to  have  anything  to  do  with  this  court  some  time 
before  I  left  Shoshong,  because,  in  a  case  of  insolvency,  the 
traders  in  Shoshong  resolved  to  seize  what  they  could  lay 
their  hands  on  of  the  insolvent's  goods,  pay  themselves  so 
much  in  the  pound,  and  then  leave  creditors  at  a  distance 
out  in  the  cold.  Goods  unpaid  for,  fresh  from  the  sea-coast, 
were  then  unloaded  from  the  waggons  at  Shoshong,  and  sold 
by  public  auction  ;  and  the  firm  which  had  supplied  these 
goods  on  credit  got  only  what  was  over,  after  men  on  the 
spot  had  received  payment  in  full  of  all  their  debts.  This 
transaction  was  not  sanctioned  by  the  chief ;  it  was  an 
arrangement  among  the  traders  themselves.  Shoshong  was  a 
capital  place  for  creditors  to  stand  at  and  waylay  their 
debtors  as  they  came  out  from  the  interior,  from  trading  or 
hunting  trips.  If  the  man  tried  to  slip  past,  the  creditor  was 
sure  to  hear  of  it,  and  fleet  horses  soon  enabled  him  to 
overtake  the  ox-waggon.  The  style  was  then  for  the 
creditor,  mounted  and  rifle  in  hand,  to  go  forward  and  stop 
the  front  oxen  pulling  the  waggon  and  literally  compel  a 
settlement  of  accounts. 

There  were  certain  matters  which  a  missionary  had  to 
pass  by,  which  a  British  Resident  could  have  treated  in  a 
very  different  manner.  At  that  time  British  subjects  beyond 
the  border  of  the  Colony  were  completely  at  the  mercy  of 
the  Boers  and  the  natives,  and  it  was  well  known  that  no 
redress  would  be  obtained  from  the  English  Government.  It 
was  my  sad  lot  more  than  once  to  know  that  parties  of  slaves 
passed  through  Shoshong  on  their  way  to  the  Transvaal, 
having  been  bought  in  the  interior,  chiefly  on  the  Lake 
River,  by  Boer  inhabitants  of  the  Transvaal.  I  took  what 
steps  I  deemed  suitable  at  the  time  to  put  a  stop  to  this ; 
but  my  circumstances  precluded  my  doing  what  a  British 


MISSIONARY  "BY-PRODUCTS"  169 


Resident  could  have  done ;  for  the  Government  at  the  time 
was  flooded  with  information  on  this  subject,  and  yet  did 
nothing ;  whereas  to  write  in  the  papers  would  have  been  to 
consign  myself  to  the  fate  of  two  early  missionaries,  who  were 
driven  from  the  country  by  the  Boers  for  exposing  their  evil 
ways  in  the  newspapers. 

In  closing  this  chapter  of  Mackenzie's  life,  we  must 
give  two  illustrations  of  the  fact  that  already  he  had 
studied  the  political  problems  of  South  Africa  very 
deeply,  and  held  in  his  mind  that  ideal  of  the  rela- 
tions of  Great  Britain  to  her  great  dependency,  which 
in  after  years  completely  absorbed  his  energies.  The 
first  is  an  extract  from  the  address  which  he  delivered 
in  1875  as  Chairman  of  the  Bechuanaland  District 
Committee.  After  a  historical  survey  of  the  relations  of 
the  Imperial  Government  to  South  Africa,  Mackenzie 
proceeded  as  follows  : — 

Is  it  too  much  to  expect  that  England  should  take  a 
comprehensive  view  of  what  is  going  on  in  South  Africa  ? 
Taking  up  the  question  as  the  undoubted  friend  of  the 
weak  and  the  helpless,  there  is  an  immediate  and  pressing 
work  for  her  to  do.  The  experience  of  the  past  may  pre- 
vent the  recurrence  of  needless  bloodshed  and  of  cruel 
outrage.  Viewing  this  movement  in  the  interests  of  her 
own  children,  England  has  a  great  and  incumbent  duty  to 
perform.  It  is  within  her  power  to  cause  that  the  European 
population  of  South  Africa  shall  be  as  loyal  and  attached  as 
in  Australia  or  Canada.  On  the  other  hand,  it  is  quite 
possible  for  her  to  see  growing  up  beside  her  Cape  Colony, 
states  whose  bitter  dislike  to  her  Government  shall  equal,  if 
not  exceed,  any  such  feeling  entertained  now  or  at  bygone 
times,  by  the  people  of  the  United  States.  England  is  at 
this  hour  the  paramount  power  in  South  Africa.  To  know 
the  English  language  is  held  to  be  a  necessary  qualification 
by  inhabitants  of  Continental  countries  who  come  out  either 
as  missionaries  or  as  men  of  business.  England  is  colonising 
Southern  Africa.  Why  should  history  have  to  recount  that 
she  did  it  unwillingly,  unwittingly,  and  in  a  left-handed 
manner?  It  is  not  in  accordance  with  her  high  name  and 
character  that  she  should  retreat  from  an  obligation.  Let 


I/O  JOHN  MACKENZIE 


England  then  come  forward  and  avowedly  take  charge  of 
and  direct  the  northward  progress  of  Europeans  in  South 
Africa.  She  has  been  hitherto  very  unwilling  to  do  this. 
The  sum  of  ^^2000  was  recently  voted  by  the  Cape  Parlia- 
ment for  the  exploration  of  an  auriferous  country  of  great 
extent  in  the  interior.  The  expedition  was  never  sent.  "  If 
I  went  up  to  your  part  of  the  world,"  said  the  Governor  of  the 
Cape  of  that  day,  addressing  the  missionary  of  the  District, 
"  I  feel  sure  I  should  never  come  back."  His  term  of  office 
had  well  nigh  expired ;  he  did  not  wish  to  answer  in  Downing 
Street  for  the  sin  of  adding  to  English  territory ;  he  was  un- 
willing to  explore,  for  explorers  might  be  successful ;  then  he 
would  have  no  end  of  trouble ;  and,  as  he  said,  he  might  not 
be  able  to  retreat  from  the  country. 

The  missionary  is  usually  in  advance  of  everyone  else  in 
South  Africa.  He  is  soon  followed,  and  is  occasionally  passed 
by  the  trader.  In  future  the  responsible  agent  of  the  British 
Government  ought  not  to  be  long  behind.  At  present,  with- 
out doubt,  there  ought  to  be  a  British  Resident  in  Matabele- 
land  on  the  East,  and  Damaraland  on  the  West.  With  the 
increase  of  the  English  population  the  native  chiefs  find 
themselves  unable  to  cope  with  their  responsibilities.  Fully 
quaHfied  to  decide  on  all  matters  occurring  in  a  native  town, 
they  are  unable  to  understand  or  to  decide  upon  civil  cases 
which  occur  among  the  European  inhabitants  of  their  country. 
One  chief  requests  the  white  men  on  his  place  to  form  them- 
selves into  a  court  of  arbitration,  with  the  missionary  as  chair- 
man ;  and  (engages  ?)  that  the  decisions  of  such  a  court  shall 
have  his  sanction.  Another  chief  who  had  attempted  to 
understand  and  to  adjudicate  in  such  matters  himself, 
disgusted  and  thoroughly  alarmed  at  the  changed  and  con- 
stantly changing  aspect  of  affairs  in  his  town,  assembled  his 
European  traders,  and  to  their  astonishment  informed  them 
it  was  henceforth  unlawful  for  them  to  build,  or  to 
occupy,  houses  or  shops  in  his  country.  Why  should  they 
wish  such  large  and  substantial  houses  ?  They  were  to 
go  back  to  their  waggons,  and  trade  from  them,  as  they 
did  in  the  olden  time.  Of  course  this  was  not  carried  out, 
but  it  exhibits  in  a  striking  light  the  helplessness  of  the  chiefs 
to  cope  with  the  events  which  are  gathering  around  them.  As 
a  result  of  a  wisely-pursued  policy  on  the  part  of  special 
Commissioners  or  British  Residents,  the  chieftainship  of  such 
towns  would  in  the  course  of  time,  and  without  a  drop  of 


MISSIONARY  "BY-PRODUCTS"  171 


bloodshed,  pass  into  the  hands  of  the  English  magistrate, 
in  whose  presence  the  common  people  would  have  pleasure 
from  the  first,  and  to  whom  the  chiefs  themselves  would  in 
the  end  become  accustomed.  The  British  Residents  ought 
to  be  supported  by  the  Government  which  sent  them.  The 
magistrates  would  be  supported,  as  in  Basutoland,  by  local 
taxation.  They  ought  to  be  very  carefully  selected ;  and, 
while  men  of  the  world,  ought  to  be  Christian  gentlemen. 

Our  Society  has  rules  which  rather  tend  to  discourage  her 
agents  from  taking  an  active  part  in  political  affairs.  No 
doubt  the  rules  are  the  expression  of  wide  experience  in  the 
various  countries  where  the  missionaries  labour.  Still  we  do 
not  hesitate  to  say  that  the  highest  type  of  missionary  in 
Bechuanaland  must  assist  the  chief  with  whom  he  resides,  in 
political  matters  He  finds  himself  the  confidential  adviser 
and  probably  the  secretary  of  the  chief  in  the  most  natural 
way,  and  before  he  thinks  anything  about  the  rules  which  he 
may  be  breaking.  I  do  not  think  our  Society's  rules  are 
really  aimed  against  such  political  connexion.  If  they  are, 
we  submit  with  all  respect  that  it  is  a  mistake.  Who  may  be 
said  to  have  been  the  makers  of  the  Basuto  tribe?  Un- 
doubtedly, our  brethren  the  French  missionaries.  By  their 
teaching  of  Christianity  alone  ?  Nay,  also  and  as  a  powerful 
auxiliary  to  their  teaching,  by  their  active  assistance  to 
Moshesh  as  his  advisers  and  his  secretaries.  Those  who  care 
to  go  into  such  matters,  know  from  Blue  Books  which  have 
been  published,  that  the  letters  of  the  French  missionaries 
commanded  the  respect  of  those  with  whom  they  corre- 
sponded ;  and  thus,  by  their  instrumentality,  the  correspon- 
dence was  raised  to  a  higher  platform,  and  was  conducted 
between  equals.  British  Basutoland  is  no  doubt  destined  to 
flourish  under  the  mild  and  equal  sway  of  Britain.  But  the 
Basutos  themselves  have  grown  from  an  insignificant  tribe  to 
their  present  proportions,  under  the  moral  protection  and 
fostering  care  of  the  French  Protestant  Church. 

I  am  sorry  that  matters  have  not  taken  place  so  happily 
in  our  own  district  in  this  connexion.  Had  the  Griquas  and 
the  Batlaping  been  content  to  have  had  missionaries  as  their 
advisers  and  secretaries,  and  had  the  missionaries  seen  it  to 
be  their  duty  thus  to  act,  the  present  wretched  disputes 
about  land  boundaries  had  never  taken  place. 

I  would  here  direct  your  attention  to  one  aspect  of  this 
aggression  of  the  Europeans,  which  can  only  excite  sorrow 


172  JOHN  MACKENZIE 


and  disappointment.  We  have  said  that  no  power  would 
seem  to  be  able  to  arrest  the  white  men  in  their  northward 
progress  ;  no  power  could  prop  up  or  keep  together  the 
decHning  heathen  communities.  It  does  not  follow,  how- 
ever, as  part  of  a  Divine  plan,  that  wherever  you  find  a 
Dutch  pioneer  there  should  be  a  waggon-load  of  Cape  smoke. 
The  English  trader  and  hunter  is  not  bound  to  descend  to 
be  a  canteen-keeper  either  for  natives  or  for  his  fellow- 
traders.  No  doubt,  if  it  would  only  pay  as  well,  we  should 
find  opium  as  well  as  brandy-waggons  plying  an  equally 
nefarious  traffic.  And  no  doubt  some  would  choose  to  eat 
the  opium  or  drink  the  laudanum  while  others  might  prefer 
the  alcohol.  Is  this  hideous  excrescence  on  English  society 
to  follow  unquestioned  and  unchecked  into  every  new  country 
in  which  they  spread  ?  Some  native  chiefs  have  the  good 
sense  and  foresight  to  forbid  the  sale  or  consumption  of 
strong  drink  within  their  country.  Should  their  territory 
at  some  future  period  be  handed  over  to  the  English,  would 
it  not  be  fair  that  such  a  law  should  be  respected  and 
enforced  under  the  new  regime  ? 

And  how  far,  some  one  will  ask,  would  you  have  the 
English  to  go  in  this  work  ?  I  answ^er,  why  should  a  nation 
be  afraid  of  genuine  healthy  growth  ?  With  due  subdivision 
for  the  purposes  of  local  government,  I  profess  to  be  quite 
unable  to  say  how  far  such  growth  might  or  might  not 
extend.  English  society  is  at  present  so  constructed  as  to 
facilitate  the  work  of  making  money,  and  the  pleasure  of 
spending  it  in  luxurious  living.  It  is  not  so  constructed  as 
to  encourage  large  classes  of  her  population  to  remain  at 
home.  England  is  at  present  heedless  of  their  leaving  her 
shores  in  thousands  ;  but  it  would  be  unnatural  and  suicidal 
policy  for  her  to  give  no  thought  to  her  children  in  the 
distant  lands  of  their  adoption.  We  are  not  at  present 
speaking  of  money,  nations  do  not  always  or  often  fight 
for  money,  but  of  sentiment  and  feeling  ;  and  we  assert, 
without  fear  of  contradiction,  that  it  is  worth  England's  while 
to  retain  her  children's  loyalty,  no  matter  how  distant  may 
be  their  present  home.  Indeed,  there  is  little  doubt  that 
England  will  or  will  not  be  prominent  among  the  nations 
of  the  future,  according  to  the  relationship  in  which  she 
stands  to  her  numerous  colonies  and  dependencies. 

In  directing  your  attention  to  this  subject,  you  will  quite 
mistake  my  meaning  if  you  imagine  that  I  wish  to  divert 


MISSIONARY  "BY-PRODUCTS"  173 


your  attention  in  the  slightest  from  our  own  great  and  tran- 
scendently  important  work  as  missionaries.  But  I  feel  that 
we  can  do  our  own  work  all  the  better  if  we  reflect  that  along 
with  its  heavenly  sanctions,  which  alone  moved  us  to  engage 
in  it,  it  is  also  part  of  a  great  movement  which  is  going  on 
in  the  country,  going  on  as  we  believe  under  the  guidance  of 
a  merciful  Providence.  It  is  ours  to  evangelize,  to  teach,  to 
educate.  Our  work  remains  the  same  whoever  become 
masters  in  the  country.  We  are  not  in  any  sense  respon- 
sible for  the  advance  of  the  white  men  behind  us.  But  we 
find  ourselves  present  where  the  meeting  of  the  races  is 
taking  place,  and  it  is  in  our  power  to  assist  the  weak,  to 
guide  the  ignorant,  to  rouse  the  slumbering  and  slothful  on 
the  one  hand,  and  on  the  other,  and  as  far  as  we  can,  to 
restrain  from  evil  and  from  wrong  the  enterprising  and  some- 
times reckless  European.  It  were  pleasant  to  find  a  native 
chief  so  far  advanced  in  intelligence  as  to  desire  to  join  and 
form  part  of  this  great  South  African  Commonwealth ;  this 
pleasure  would  be  greatly  increased  were  the  chief  or  his 
brother,  or  some  member  of  his  tribe,  qualified  to  act  as 
magistrate,  so  as  to  give  satisfaction  to  all  classes  who 
might  come  before  him.  The  higher  education  which  as  a 
Society  we  hope  to  introduce  may  do  something  in  this 
direction. 

The  following  letter  speaks  for  itself — 

Shoshong,  2d  May  1876. 

Sir  Henry  Barkly,  K.C.B., 
High  Commissioner  in  Southern  Africa. 

May  it  please  your  Excellency, — I  beg  to  draw 
your  attention  to  the  condition  of  certain  parts  of  the 
Interior,  from  my  ow^n  point  of  view  as  a  Christian  mis- 
sionary and  as  a  loyal  subject  of  Her  Majesty,  Queen 
Victoria. 

The  aggressive  movements  of  certain  inhabitants  of  the 
Transvaal  Republic  are  assuming  an  importance  which,  I  think, 
demands  your  special  attention.  While  I  write  there  are 
over  40  ox-waggons  lying  on  the  Limpopo  River — about  two 
days  from  this  place — the  owners  of  which  were  until  recently 
burghers  of  the  Transvaal  and  inhabitants  chiefly  of  the  district 
of  Magaliesberg.  They  are  of  the  religious  persuasion  known 
in  S.  Africa  as  Doppers.    They  are  "trekking,"  and  most, 


174  JOHN  MACKENZIE 


if  not  all  of  them,  have  sold  their  farms  in  the  Transvaal. 
They  are  under  the  leadership  of  one  who  signs  himself 
"  Veldt  Cornet."  They  are  waiting  for  their  friends  to 
come  forward,  to  the  number,  it  is  said,  of  some  800,  from 
other  parts  of  the  Republic  and  from  the  Free  State  and 
some  say  even  from  the  Cape  Colony — when  they  intend  to 
move  forward.  It  was  first  given  out  by  them  that  they 
were  bound  for  Damaraland.  They  told  Khame,  the  chief 
here,  that  they  had  heard  of  a  land  in  that  direction  which 
was  without  inhabitants,  and  they  said  they  were  on  their 
way  thither.  Recently,  however,  I  hear  they  declare  that 
they  are  going  to  march  on  Mashonaland,  lying  to  the  east 
of  Matabeleland.  Of  course  there  is  no  unoccupied  country 
in  Damaraland,  so  far  as  I  can  learn  :  and  although  a  large 
tract  of  country  has  been  devastated  by  the  Matabele  in 
their  wars  with  the  Mashona,  the  country  itself  is  claimed  by 
its  conquerors,  who  will  no  doubt  fight  with  the  Dutch  for 
its  possession. 

Here  then  we  have  a  party  of  armed  men  publicly  avow- 
ing that  they  are  about  to  enter  some  part  of  the  interior  as 
an  army;  and  that  they  will  seize  upon  and  if  possible 
occupy  one  or  other  of  the  countries  already  named. 

The  Chief  Khame  has  given  permission  to  these  men  to 
pass  through  his  country  to  Damaraland.  A  few  waggons 
went  on  last  year ;  but  I  believe  they  have  not  gone  much 
beyond  Lake  Ngami.  Khame  does  not  refuse  the  road ;  but 
of  course  he  will  dispute  any  aggressive  act  on  his  country 
itself. 

The  second  matter  to  which  I  would  beg  to  direct  your 
attention  is  the  condition  and  habits  of  the  Matabele  tribe. 
I  am  sure  the  outrages  perpetuated  continually,  and  as  a 
matter  of  course  by  that  people,  are  not  known  either  in 
England  or  in  the  Colony.  In  a  little  work  published  some 
five  years  ago  and  called,  "  Ten  Years  North  of  the  Orange 
River,"  I  endeavoured  to  direct  attention  to  the  subject. 
The  Matabele  may  be  truly  described  as  a  horde  of  blood- 
thirsty savages  who  every  year  make  wars  upon  the  Mashona 
and  other  weaker  neighbours,  murdering  all  who  fall  into  their 
hands,  except  young  boys  and  girls.  Old  people  and  those 
in  their  prime  along  with  children  too  young  to  walk  to  the 
Matabeleland;  all  are  put  to  death.  While  they  are  powerful 
enough  to  carry  on  such  heathen  warfare  with  their  neigh- 
bours, the  Matabele  have  deteriorated  in  prowess  since  they 


MISSIONARY  "  BY-PRODUCTS  "  175 


occupied  their  present  country.  An  army  of  800  Dutchmen 
would  no  doubt  overcome  them.  The  tribe  is  also  weakened 
by  the  existence  of  a  rival  to  the  present  chief,  in  the  person 
of  a  man  who  calls  himself  Kuruman,  and  who  is  now  living 
in  the  Transvaal  Republic.  It  is  supposed  that  should  any 
respectable  force  accompany  Kuruman  to  the  Matabele 
country  a  large  party  of  Matabele  would  at  once  desert 
Lobengula  and  join  Kuruman.  Missionaries  of  the  London 
Society  have  been  labouring  among  the  Matabele  since 
1859  ;  but,  alas  !  without  having  had  as  yet  the  pleasure  of 
baptizing  a  single  convert. 

When  gold  was  discovered  at  Tati  some  years  ago,  the 
chief  of  this  place  at  that  time  addressed  your  predecessor, 
Sir  Philip  Wodehouse,  offering  to  the  British  Government  the 
possession  of  the  auriferous  district  on  terms  which  might  after- 
wards be  agreed  on.  I  believe  ^2000  were  at  that  time 
voted  by  the  Cape  Parhament  for  the  purpose  of  sending  a 
special  commission  to  thoroughly  explore  the  country  pro- 
ducing gold — both  in  the  Tati  and  Mashona  districts.  Sir 
Philip,  hov/ever,  never  availed  himself  of  this  grant.  His 
reason,  as  given  to  me  privately  in  Cape  Town,  was  that  "  if 
he  once  went  into  those  regions,  he  would  never  come  back  " 
— that  is,  if  a  Commission  went  north,  it  would  only  be  the 
beginning  of  the  occupancy  of  the  country  by  the  English. 

In  connexion  with  the  events  which  were  transpiring  at 
that  time,  your  predecessor  was  kind  enough  to  say  that  he 
would  be  glad  of  all  information  which  I  could  communicate, 
along  with  such  explanations  and  statements  of  opinion  as  I 
might  be  able  to  send.  As  your  anxiety  to  do  your  duty  as 
Her  Majesty's  Representative  in  this  country  is  well  known, 
having  been  tested  for  years,  I  make  bold  to  express  my 
opinion  upon  the  crisis  which  at  present  obtains  in  the 
interior;  and  perhaps  I  ought  to  premise  that  I  have  had 
considerable  opportunities  of  making  myself  acquainted  with 
the  peoples  concerning  whom  I  am  speaking. 

I.  I  have  no  hesitation  in  saying  that  the  Matabele  tribe  is 
not  worth  preserving  in  independence.  The  country  which 
they  now  occupy,  which  they  of  course  took  by  force,  has 
been  theirs  for  about  30  years.  They  form  a  dead  wall  to  the 
progress  of  the  missionary  as  well  as  the  trader  and  hunter. 
In  short  in  their  corporate  capacity,  they  are  a  nuisance  in 
the  country.  It  would  not  therefore  be  a  good  action 
merely  to  hinder  the  Dutchman  from  taking  Mashonaland, 


176 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


and  perhaps  dispersing  the  Matabele.  On  the  lowest 
ground  the  Dutchman  would  be  infinitely  better  than  the 
Matabele,  better  both  for  the  Matabele  people  themselves, 
and  for  their  neighbours. 

2.  But  I  do  not  write  to  suggest  an  inactive  policy.  From 
my  point  of  view  this  is  an  important  crisis  and  one  which 
will  have  the  most  extensive  issues.  If  the  Dutch  settle  in 
Mashonaland  as  an  independent  people,  there  will  never  be 
one  united  South  African  Government.  On  the  other  hand, 
there  will  speedily  grow  up  a  large  community  or  com- 
munities, richer  and  more  powerful  than  the  countries  under 
the  English  Crown,  agreeing  in  one  thing  if  not  on  others — 
in  dislike  of  their  English  neighbours.  Allow  me  to  say  that 
it  is  now  in  your  Excellency's  power  to  checkmate  all  this. 
At  the  same  time,  in  performing  your  duty  as  the  friend  of 
the  oppressed  and  of  the  slave,  I  cannot  help  thinking  that 
you  are  bound  to  interfere  on  the  part  of  England  to  put 
down  the  outrages  perpetrated  from  year  to  year  by  the 
Matabele.  And  surely  your  duty  to  England  and  to  the 
various  EngUsh  colonies  in  South  Africa  calls  upon  you  to 
prevent  if  possible  the  addition  to  its  territory  by  the 
Transvaal,  of  a  country  fairer  and  even  more  fruitful  than  the 
South  African  RepubHc  itself. 

The  Dutch  can  be  checkmated  and  the  outrages  of  the 
Matabele  gradually  put  down,  by  the  prompt  appearance,  in 
the  interior,  of  a  British  Commissioner  or  Resident,  especially 
appointed  and  sent  by  you,  as  representing  Her  Majesty's 
Imperial  Government  in  this  country.  Should  the  Dutch 
know  that  there  is  a  special  British  Commission  in  Matabele- 
land  they  will  never  go  there.  If  the  English  power  once 
got  fairly  to  the  north  of  the  Dutch  they  would  be  forced  to 
settle  down  and  till  the  soil,  yielding  themselves  to  the 
influences  of  the  European  civilization  from  which,  in  point 
of  fact,  they  are  now  fleeing.  Exercising  a  protectorate  over 
the  Matabele,  and  eventually  occupying  and  possessing  the 
country,  your  Excellency  would  find  that  the  whole  question 
of  English  supremacy  had  been  settled  finally ;  and  the 
Dutch  would  probably  become  in  South  Africa  what  they  are 
in  the  United  States. 

Should  the  appearance  of  an  English  Commissioner  lead 
to  the  preservation  of  Matabeleland  from  the  Dutch,  it  would 
only  be  reasonable  that  the  Mashona  Gold-fields,  at  present 
a  territory  entirely  uninhabited,  should  be  handed  over  by 


MISSIONARY  "BY-PRODUCTS"  177 


Lobengula  to  his  preservers.  This  would  lead  to  the  settle- 
ment of  farmers  in  the  very  beautiful  and  rich  country  of 
Mashonaland,  a  great  part  of  which  is  also  at  present  un- 
inhabited, having  been  denuded  of  its  population  by  the 
ceaseless  wars  of  the  Matabele. 

I  may  mention  that  Major  Stabb,  of  the  32nd  Light 
Infantry,  last  year  visited  Matabeleland  and  the  Victoria 
Falls,  and  will  be  able  to  give  information  as  to  the  social 
condition  of  the  Matabele. 

Perhaps  some  of  the  sentences  in  this  communication  may 
appear  to  be  too  strongly  expressed.  My  apology  must  be 
my  sense  of  the  magnitude  and  imminence  of  the  question, 
which  alone  could  have  induced  me  to  write  at  all. — I 
remain,  with  every  expression  of  respect,  your  Excellency's 
humble  servant,  John  Mackenzie. 

F.S. — For  obvious  reasons  connected  with  my  residence 
in  this  country  as  a  missionary,  I  beg  that  this  letter  be 
regarded  as  a  private  communication. 

At  last  the  time  came  to  which  Mackenzie  had 
looked  forward  with  so  much  dread,  when  he  must 
leave  Shoshong  and  his  much-loved  mission  station 
there.  The  progress  of  the  Institution  buildings  at 
Kuruman  had  reached  such  a  stage  as  to  demand  his 
presence  at  that  place.  He  would  for  himself  have 
much  preferred  to  remain  at  Shoshong,  and  to  carry 
on  there  the  work  of  the  Institution  as  it  was  shaping 
itself  under  his  hands,  and  the  work  of  the  mission 
station  in  which  he  was  so  largely  assisted  now  by 
Mr  Hepburn.  There  had  been  staying  with  him  for 
some  time  the  well-known  Austrian  traveller  and  man 
of  science,  Dr  Emil  Holub,  whose  medical  skill  was 
freely  given  to  those  in  need,  during  his  visits  to 
Shoshong.  He  threw  himself  with  great  energy  into 
the  work  of  packing  up  all  the  belongings  of  the 
Mackenzie  family  and  loading  the  waggons  with  them. 
On  June  13th,  1876,  the  dreary  feeling  of  the 
travellers  was  expressed  by  Mrs  Mackenzie  to  one 
of  their  sons  in  this  way  : — 

M 


178  JOHN  MACKENZIE 

This  is  post-day,  and  we  are  in  the  midst  of  packing.  You 
would  be  sorry  if  you  saw  the  dear  old  house  all  but  empty, 
and  an  enormous  buck-waggon  filled  with  boxes  at  the  door, 
and  another  waiting  to  be  filled,  and  our  own  waggon  waiting 
to  be  filled  and  furnished  for  their  journey.  We  do  not  hke 
this  moving  any  more  than  you  do.  To  us  Kuruman  seems 
a  desert  waste  as  compared  with  this,  that  to  others  seems  so 
dreary  and  inhospitable ;  but  we  are  going  where  duty  calls 
us,  so  we  try  to  go  through  it  contentedly  and  cheerfully. 

The  sorrow  among  the  Bamangwato  was  deep  and 
extensive.  Not  only  the  Christians  felt  themselves 
bereft  of  their  pastor  and  friend,  but  the  very  heathen 
knew  that  they  were  losing  from  the  town  one  whom 
their  chief  loved  and  whom  all  trusted.  They  ex- 
pressed their  grief  in  native  fashion,  numbers  of  them 
turning  out  to  watch  the  waggons  as  they  moved 
down  through  the  kloof  and  the  town  out  upon  the 
flat.  Many  of  them,  including  Khame  himself,  rode 
out  for  ten  miles  or  more  with  the  waggons,  as  an 
evidence  of  their  affection  and  their  regret.  As  they 
stood  watching  John  Mackenzie  go  past,  and  saw  their 
chiefs  sorrow  expressed  in  word  and  look,  they  would 
utter  their  soft  and  beautiful  Sechuana  farewells, 
"  Tsamaea  sentle,  Ra  " — "  Go  nicely,  Father  "  ;  or 
"  Tsamaea  ka  pula,  Ra " — "  Go  with  rain,  Father." 


CHAPTER  VII 


THE  MOFFAT  INSTITUTION  (  I  87  I- I  882) 

Wheresoever  Protestant  missions  have  been  estab- 
lished they  have  found  it  necessary  to  begin  the 
task  of  education  ;  and  wheresoever  they  have  been 
carefully  conducted,  education  of  a  thorough  kind  has 
been  made  a  prominent  feature  of  their  work.  All 
the  more  strange  is  it  to  find  that  in  Bechuanaland 
this  part  of  missionary  enterprise  was  for  a  long 
number  of  years  peculiarly  neglected.  This  is  not 
the  place  to  attempt  to  fix  the  responsibility  for  this 
disastrous  lack.  Probably  no  one  man  or  set  of  men 
is  responsible.  Throughout  the  letters  of  missionaries 
to  the  Directors  and.  of  Directors  to  the  missionaries 
we  find  frequent  references  to  the  matter  of  education 
and  the  necessity  for  its  development.  And  yet  years 
passed  into  decades,  and  the  decades  multiplied  without 
any  one  efficient  school  being  established  throughout 
the  whole  of  Bechuanaland.  In  each  mission  station 
there  was,  of  course,  some  school  work  done  ;  there 
were  always  some  natives  who  were  learning  to  read, 
and  a  few  learned  to  read  well.  The  chief  Sechele, 
for  example,  was  wise  enough  to  send  his  son  Sebele 
to  Kuruman,  where  he  received  a  good  grounding  from 
Dr  Moffat  and  his  family,  and  he  has  been  always 
recognised  as  one  of  the  best-educated  Bechuanas. 
But  in  no  station  or  village  was  school  work  carried  on 
by  men  set  apart  for  that  work  who  were  capable 
of  doing  it  thoroughly.  One  can  only  try  to  imagine 
how  great  a  difference  it  would  have  made  to  the 

entire  history  of  those  tribes  if,  during  all  the  years 

179 


i8o  JOHN  MACKENZIE 


which  passed  before  the  general  influx  of  Europeans 
took  place,  the  natives  had  been  widely  and  thoroughly 
aroused  to  the  desire  for  education.  If  those  native 
chiefs,  and  at  a  later  date  numerous  native  farmers 
who  owned  valuable  lands,  had  been  able  to  read  and 
write  well  and  had  mastered  the  elements  of  arithmetic, 
they  would  have  been  saved  from  many  a  cheat,  and 
would  have  retained  for  their  own  legitimate  use 
extensive  and  richly  productive  estates,  which,  through 
their  ignorance,  they  have  lost. 

As  we  have  said,  every  missionary  tried  to  do  some- 
thing in  the  way  of  education  ;  but  in  South  Africa, 
where  so  much  time  was  lost  in  the  making  of  long 
journeys  and  in  the  putting  up  of  houses  and  churches, 
it  was  by  no  means  easy  to  concentrate  upon  this 
work,  and  still  less  easy  to  carry  it  far,  single-handed 
and  burdened  as  the  labourers  were.  The  Directors 
of  the  Society  in  London  appear  to  have  realised  very 
inadequately  how  much  was  needed  to  perform  this 
work,  and  how  far  behind  Bechuanaland  remained. 
For  even  in  the  year  1875  their  brilliant  and  powerful 
foreign  secretary,  Dr  Joseph  Mullens,  wrote  to 
Mackenzie,  "  It  was  for  those  rudimentals  that  we 
want  you  to  have  a  schoolmaster  (not  Mr  X.,  but 
a  good  native).  We  value  our  English  missionaries, 
and  want  to  see  them  occupied  in  the  highest  duties 
available  to  them."  One  hardly  knows  whether  to  be 
amazed  most  at  the  notion  that  an  English  missionary 
would  not  be  doing  the  highest  duty  available  if  he 
were  engaged  in  Christian  education,  or  at  the 
expectation  that  a  native  could  be  found  to  do  the 
work  at  that  time  in  Bechuanaland.  Concerning  this 
very  sentence  Mackenzie  writes  to  his  friend,  the  Rev. 
James  Ross,  "  There  is  not  a  single  native  taught  by 
the  London  Missionary  Society  in  South  Africa  who  is 
at  all  qualified  to  do  anything  of  the  kind." 

At  last  however,  practical  steps  were  taken  at  the 


THE  MOFFAT  INSTITUTION  i8i 


meeting  of  the  Bechuanaland  District  Committee  held 
at  Kuruman  in  January  1869.  The  Committee  had 
before  them  a  letter  from  Dr  Mullens,  written  in  August 
1868,  in  which  a  number  of  questions  were  submitted 
for  the  consideration  of  the  South  African  missionaries. 
These  questions  included  a  request  for  proposals  of 
any  new  methods  which  might  be  employed  to  "  call 
out  the  zeal  and  consecration  of  individuals "  in  the 
churches.  To  this  the  missionaries  replied  that  effort 
should  be  made  to  direct  the  minds  of  promising 
young  men  "  to  the  work  of  Christ,"  to  "  forward  the 
education  of  such  as  become  interested  in  the  matter, 
with  the  view  of  their  becoming  schoolmasters  and 
native  teachers."  This  general  recommendation  led 
on  to  the  specific  and  important  demand  for  "  the 
speedy  formation  of  an  institution  for  the  training  of 
native  agents."  The  Committee  further  requested  the 
Directors  to  sanction  the  establishment  of  such  an 
institution,  and  to  release  "  one  of  the  missionaries 
now  in  the  country  from  his  present  duties,"  and  to 
appoint  him  as  Tutor.  It  was  recognised  that  the 
Directors  would  have  to  provide  an  additional  sum  of 
money  annually  for  the  expenses  of  this  new  work, 
and  they  were  reminded  that  the  Rev.  Robert  Moffat 
had  "  for  some  time  past  paid  the  Society  the  sum 
of  £40  per  annum  towards  the  support  of  such  an 
institution."  The  Directors  responded  favourably  to 
these  proposals  of  their  Bechuanaland  agents,  and 
urged  them  to  take  the  necessary  steps  for  the 
establishment  of  the  Seminary  which  they  had 
proposed. 

It  was  not,  however,  until  the  meeting  of  the  Mis- 
sionary Committee  at  Molepolole,  in  July  1871,  that 
this  was  found  possible.  But  there,  after  another  very 
full  discussion,  it  was  resolved  that  at  once  "  an  insti- 
tution for  training  evangelists  and  native  ministers " 
should  be  established.     The  report  which  they  made 


I82 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


to  the  Directors  goes  on  to  say,  "  Having  submitted 
the  selection  of  a  Tutor  to  the  ballot,  it  was  almost 
unanimously  decided  to  recommend  the  Rev.  John 
Mackenzie  to  the  Directors  for  that  office."  ...  "As 
a  temporary  measure  it  was  decided  that  the  insti- 
tution should  be  commenced  on  a  small  scale  at 
Shoshong,  inasmuch  as  it  is  Mr  Mackenzie's  present 
residence."  Regulations  were  further  drawn  up  with 
regard  to  the  admission  of  students  and  the  course  of 
study  through  which  they  should  be  carried.  Only 
those  were  to  be  admitted  who  could  read  and  write 
Sechuana,  and  who  had  a  fair  knowledge  of  the  Scrip- 
tures. They  must  be  suitably  married,  and  bring  their 
wives  and  children  with  them  for  their  period  of  study. 
The  course  was  at  first  only  intended  to  last  two  years, 
but  it  was  found  necessary  to  lengthen  this  to  three. 
In  general  the  subjects  taught  were  to  include  arith- 
metic, geography,  and  history,  Scripture  exegesis,  and 
theology,  as  well  as  instruction  and  practice  in  the 
making  of  addresses. 

As  soon,  therefore,  as  Mackenzie  reached  Shoshong, 
he  began  to  arrange  for  the  erection  of  buildings  which 
would  be  needed  while  the  institution  remained  at 
Shoshong.  He  and  his  brethren  felt  considerable  diffi- 
culty about  his  accepting  the  appointment,  acting 
upon  it,  and  spending  money  upon  the  buildings, 
before  they  received  news  of  the  approval  of  the 
Directors  in  London.  Already  some  signs  of  vacil- 
lation in  that  quarter  had  caused  them  a  little 
hesitation.  Nevertheless  they  had  behind  them  the 
explicit  instructions  of  the  Directors,  and  it  seemed  to 
them  only  wise  to  begin  the  work  at  the  earliest  pos- 
sible moment.  Seven  cottages  were  erected  for  the 
students  as  well  as  a  class-room  ;  and  five  students 
were  enrolled,  these  being  selected  with  very  great  care. 

Much  to  the  relief  of  the  Tutor  and  his  brother 
missionaries,  the  reply  of  the  Directors  to  their  pro- 


THE  MOFFAT  INSTITUTION  183 


posals  was  a  very  cordial  approval  of  all  that  they 
had  undertaken.  The  Directors  suggested  "  that  there 
should  be  attached  to  "  the  institution  "  the  honoured 
name  of  the  Rev.  Robert  Moffat."  This  suggestion 
was  well  received,  of  course,  by  the  missionaries,  and 
their  approval  was,  if  possible,  made  still  more  warm 
by  the  news  which  arrived  later  that  a  proposal  to 
establish  such  an  institution  as  a  memorial  of  Dr 
Moffat  had  awakened  great  interest  throughout  England 
and  Scotland.  Churches  and  individuals  began  freely 
to  subscribe  the  necessary  funds,  and  these  increased 
rapidly  until,  where  the  missionaries  had  hoped  for 
hundreds,  they  now  heard  that  the  institution  was 
supported  by  thousands  of  pounds. 

Mackenzie  found  his  first  class  of  students  to  be  on 
the  whole  intelligent  and  earnest  men  ;  and  he  re- 
ported that  they  were  very  anxious  to  get  on.  The 
fifth  among  them  was  Khamane,  the  second  son  of 
Sekhome,  who  did  not  intend  to  become  an  evangelist ; 
his  career  as  a  student  was  cut  short  by  his  subse- 
quent political  ambitions  and  disloyal  intrigues  against 
his  brother  Khame.  Throughout  the  remaining  four 
years  of  his  residence  at  Shoshong,  Mackenzie  was 
daily  engrossed  in  this  work,  and  deeply  anxious  to 
fit  his  men  in  every  way  for  the  position  which  they 
were  afterwards  to  occupy.  He  trained  them  in  the 
work  of  building  houses  instead  of  huts,  and  other 
practical  affairs.  He  talked  much  with  them  con- 
cerning the  political  excitements  and  changes  in  the 
Bamangwato  tribe,  and  strove,  by  direct  precept  as 
well  as  example,  to  show  them  how  they  must  avoid 
in  their  future  careers  the  danger  of  becoming  parti- 
sans, and  yet  how  they  must  not  shrink  from  de- 
claring themselves  the  friends  of  righteousness  on 
every  occasion. 

In  a  letter  written  to  the  Secretary  of  the  Society 
he  says  : — 


i84 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


You  will  be  glad  to  hear  that  I  feel  encouraged  with 
reference  to  the  work  of  the  Institution.  The  six  men 
now  at  Shoshong  work  conscientiously,  and  are  very  anxious 
to  learn.  I  hope  that  moderate  expectations  with  reference 
to  their  future  usefulness  will  not  be  disappointed.  There  is 
a  general  feeling  of  curiosity  in  the  country  with  reference  to 
them.  What  have  they  been  learning  ?  Why  was  not  one, 
or  at  most  two  years,  a  long  enough  period  to  teach  them  in  ? 
The  constant  political  changes  among  the  Bamangwato  have 
supplied  an  occasion  for  the  students  to  endeavour  to  exercise 
that  neutrality  which  is  required  of  the  messenger  of  the  Cross 
who  is  the  friend  of  all  parties. 

When  in  1876  the  first  four  students  passed  the 
final  examinations  of  the  Committee,  and  were 
appointed  to  various  important  fields,  it  was  felt 
that  a  good  beginning  had  been  made  with  good 
and  intelligent  men.  Throughout  their  subsequent 
years  they  most  fully  justified  that  hope. 

The  Bechuanaland  Committee  of  Missionaries  at 
the  first  left  the  question  of  a  permanent  site  for  the 
institution  open,  although  the  Directors  in  London 
had  from  the  beginning  suggested  that  Kuruman 
should  be  selected.  In  May  1873,  the  missionaries 
decided  that  this  was  the  wise  course  to  pursue,  and 
sent  a  recommendation  to  London  to  that  effect.  To 
their  surprise  they  received  a  letter  from  London  ask- 
ing them  to  reconsider  this  decision.  They  carried 
further  their  investigation  into  various  possible  sites, 
and  reconsidered  the  matter  at  Kuruman  in  May 
1874.  Once  more  they  decided  that  Kuruman  was 
the  only  site  that  was  available  and,  on  the  whole, 
convenient.  They  proposed  that  buildings  on  a 
moderate  scale  should  at  once  be  put  up  so  as  to 
be  ready  for  occupation  in  October  1875.  They 
also  decided  that  if  the  institution  was  to  be  made  a 
permanent  and  an  ever-growing  success,  a  thoroughly 
good  Youths'  School  should  also  be  established  at 
Kuruman. 


THE  MOFFAT  INSTITUTION  185 


On  this  whole  matter  of  the  site  for  the  institution 
Mackenzie,  while  he  supported  the  almost  unanimous 
decisions  of  his  brethren  and  defended  them,  never 
formed  any  very  strong  conviction  of  his  own.  He 
was  not  at  all  enthusiastic  about  Kuruman,  as  it 
seemed  to  him  too  far  south,  and  yet  he  was  unable 
for  various  reasons  to  fix  his  mind  upon  any  other 
more  suitable  place. 

So  sure  were  the  missionaries  that  the  London 
Directors  would  approve  their  action,  that  they  ap- 
pointed a  sub-committee  to  superintend  the  work  of 
building.  Mackenzie  and  Mr  Ashton  proceeded  to 
arrange  for  the  gathering  of  material  and  the  engage- 
ment of  workmen.  The  former  went  to  Klerksdorp, 
where  builders  were  engaged.  To  the  consternation 
of  all,  a  letter  was  received  from  the  Directors  which 
forbade  their  proceeding  farther  with  the  work.  The 
letter  was  so  emphatic  that  there  seemed  nothing  to  do 
but  to  countermand  all  orders  and  break  all  contracts. 
As  one  of  the  leading  business  men  at  Klerksdorp  re- 
marked, when  he  acted  as  intermediary  in  the  cancelling 
of  engagements,  "  This  affair  in  the  eyes  of  an  outsider 
looks  bad,  and  will  more  or  less  damage  Mr  Mackenzie  in 
the  eyes  of  the  workmen.  ...  It  places  Mr  Mackenzie 
in  a  very  awkward  position  ;  he  will  no  doubt  be 
grieved,  and  may  be  a  little  angry,  for  being  treated 
in  this  manner."  The  reason  for  this  unexpected 
action  seems  to  have  been  that  at  this  time  the 
Directors  began  to  receive  so  large  a  sum  of  money 
for  the  Moffat  Institution  that  they  saw  their  way  to 
do  something  grander  than  the  humble  missionaries 
on  the  field  had  intended.  But  it  was  very  perplexing 
and  drew  from  Mackenzie  a  letter  to  Dr  Mullens  which 
contained  the  following  passages  : — 

I  regret  much,  as  Tutor  of  the  Institution,  that  the  erection  of 
the  permanent  buildings  has  been  so  long  delayed.  Indeed, 
I  believe  at  the  time  I  write,  absolutely  nothing  is  being  done 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


in  the  matter.  At  their  meeting  in  April  last  the  Committee 
contemplated  rearing  the  Tutor's  house  and  the  cottages  for 
married  students,  so  that  we  could  begin  work  at  Kuruman 
in  October  of  the  present  year.  The  main  building  and 
schoolmaster's  house  were  to  follow,  after  the  fullest  consulta- 
tion with  the  Directors.  The  Committee's  plan  admitted  of 
being  carried  out  piecemeal,  and  they  availed  themselves  of 
this.  It  was  thought  the  approval  of  the  Directors  would  be 
to  hand  before  an  actual  commencement  would  take  place ; 
and  it  was  thought  that  there  could  be  little  difference  of 
opinion  about  the  Tutor's  house  and  the  cottages,  while  we 
knew,  that  as  to  the  place  itself,  there  was  no  other  site 
available.  The  movement  had  long  been  delayed ;  it  was 
to  be  delayed  no  longer.  Every  member  of  the  Committee 
was  interested  in  the  work ;  and  everyone  undertook  some 
work  in  connection  with  it.  But  (speaking  for  myself)  I  was 
much  pained  to  find  that  all  this  hearty  work  was  crushed  by 
the  Directors — I  cannot  think  but  ill-advisedly . 

By  this  time  business  had  been  done,  engagements  made, 
all  which  had  now  to  be  receded  from,  as  far  as  possible. 
This  was  unpleasant  and  humiliating  work  for  grown-up  men 
to  set  about.  But  it  was  got  through — with  scant  grace. 
And  the  members  of  the  Committee  now  naturally  turned 
their  eyes  to  London.  .  .  . 

The  Directors  have  announced  their  approval  of  Kuruman 
as  a  site.  A  beautiful  plan,  based  on  that  of  the  Committee, 
has  been  sent  out  for  the  Committee's  guidance  !  This  is 
good  news.  At  length  the  Directors  and  their  Committee 
see  eye  to  eye.  I  pray  earnestly  that  this  may  continue. 
May  nothing — may  no  one — come  between  the  Directors 
and  their  agents  in  the  field  !  May  there  be  mutual  helpful- 
ness and  mutual  confidence  ! 

While  the  missionaries  were  discussing  their  modest 
plans,  the  Directors  had  engaged  Mr  E.  H.  Robbins, 
a  London  architect,  to  draw  up  plans  for  the  Moffat 
Institution.  He  carefully  studied  the  topography  of 
Kuruman  with  Dr  Moffat,  making  pencil  sketches  in 
his  presence,  and  then  drew  up  plans  for  an  institu- 
tion such  as  the  Directors  and  Dr  Moffat  had  described 
to  him.  These  drawings  he  took  to  Dr  Moffat  for 
his  approval,  and  reported  that  "  with  a  few  slight 


THE  MOFFAT  INSTITUTION  187 


alterations  the  plan  met  his  view  exactly."  As  soon 
as  possible  these  plans  were  sent  out  to  Bechuana- 
land,  and  the  missionaries  were  instructed  to  erect 
buildings  as  therein  described.  As  a  matter  of  fact 
the  designs  were  extravagant,  and  the  careful  Bechu- 
analand  District  Committee  reduced  some  of  their 
most  expensive  features,  thereby  saving  hundreds,  if 
not  several  thousands,  of  pounds. 

The  work  was  begun  under  the  superintendence 
of  the  Rev.  William  Ashton  in  the  year  1875.  In 
the  following  year  Mackenzie  decided  that  as  the 
buildings  which  he  and  his  family  would  occupy  must 
be  near  completion,  he  ought,  after  attending  the 
Committee  meeting  at  Molepolole,  to  go  on  to  Kuru- 
man  and  begin  the  new  session  where  henceforth 
his  work  was  to  be  carried  on.  When  all  had  been 
arranged,  and  while  he  was  engaged  in  the  work  of 
packing,  another  letter  arrived  which  amazed  him 
exceedingly.  This  letter  suggested  that  he  should 
remain  at  Shoshong  for  two  or  three  years  longer, 
"  during  these  building  operations  at  Kuruman."  If 
that  had  been  the  only  reason  or  argument  given 
it  might  not  have  caused  much  surprise,  but  the 
Secretary  of  the  Society  added  a  sentence  or  two 
of  which  it  was  very  hard  to  understand  the  real 
significance.  We  all  identify  you  with  Shoshong, 
with  the  Bamangwato,  with  Macheng  and  Sekhome, 
with  Khame  and  Khamane,  and  with  the  great  social 
advance  of  the  tribe.  I  can't  bring  myself  to  fancy 
you  at  Kuruman,  even  in  the  important  position 
assigned  you  there.  However,  we  shall  see  what 
two  or  three  years  bring  forth.  And  besides,  you 
are  a  man  of  so  much  weight  and  spirit  that  you 
would  find  far  too  little  to  do  in  training  two  or  three 
novices  ;  you  must  of  necessity  spend  a  large  portion 
of  time  on  rudimentals."  These  sentences  certainly 
seemed  to  contain  the  suggestion  that  the  Directors 


i88 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


did  not  expect  the  institution  to  grow  to  much,  and 
that  they  did  not  desire  very  warmly  that  Mr  Mac- 
kenzie should  leave  his  mission  work  at  Shoshong 
to  be  the  Tutor  at  Kuruman.  Much  perplexed  and 
disturbed,  Mackenzie  nevertheless  resolved  to  abide 
by  the  decision  of  his  brethren.  They  agreed  that 
he  should,  upon  the  explicit  appointments  and  ap- 
provals already  given  them  by  the  Directors,  proceed 
to  Kuruman.  Here,  then,  he  settled  as  Tutor  of  the 
Moffat  Institution  in  September  1876. 

From  this  time  until  the  end  of  1878,  John 
Mackenzie  found  himself  once  more  involved  in 
the  irksome  task  of  building.  The  extensive  and 
expensive  plans  which  had  been  sent  out  by  the 
Directors  from  London  would  have  required  the 
entire  time  of  a  fully  qualified  and  salaried  manager. 
To  save  this  expense  the  burden  was  laid  upon  the 
Tutor  of  the  Institution,  who  therefore  endeavoured 
to  carry  on  his  task  of  daily  teaching  and  of  superin- 
tending the  large  works  which  were  proceeding.  He 
had  associated  with  him  as  consultants,  the  Rev.  John 
Brown  and  the  Rev.  A.  J.  Wookey  ;  but  next  to 
himself,  the  man  upon  whom  the  heaviest  burden  fell, 
was  the  Rev.  William  Ashton,  who  was  now  stationed 
at  Barkly.  The  letters-  which  passed  between  Rarkly 
and  Kuruman  are  innumerable,  and  deal  with  every 
detail  in  the  purchase  and  transport  of  material,  the 
engagement  of  workmen,  the  payment  of  wages,  etc. 
The  work  was  carried  on  by  these  missionaries  with 
the  greatest  energy  and  unfailing  patience,  although 
Mackenzie  did  confess  to  one  of  his  sons  that  he 
found  it  very  hard  to  teach  and  to  build  at  the  same 
time.  It  is  a  curious  fact  that  for  so  long  a  period 
the  supreme  work  of  teaching  was  allowed  by  the 
Directors  to  be  interfered  with  by  the  work  of  build- 
ing, when  the  latter  could  have  been  carried  out  by 
specialists.     In  a  letter  of  that  year  (i  878)  he  gives 


THE  MOFFAT  INSTITUTION  189 


a  glimpse  of  his  perplexities,  inasmuch  as  he  is  com- 
pelled to  keep  ox-waggons  on  the  road  between  Kuru- 
man  and  Kimberley  and  Barkly  carrying  necessary 
materials.  At  one  time  six  waggon-loads  have  accu- 
mulated at  Barkly,  and  yet  nearer  at  hand  he  says, 
"  It  is  all  I  can  do  to  keep  the  masons  and  plasterers 
supplied  with  straw,  bricks,  clay,  etc."  In  still  another 
letter  to  his  friend  the  Rev.  G.  D.  Cullen  of  Edin- 
burgh, he  says,  "  I  have  under  my  oversight  nine 
masons  and  plasterers,  three  carpenters,  one  squad  of 
brick-makers,  two  squads  of  reed  cutters  (reeds  for 
thatching),  besides  two  classes  of  young  men  who 
have  just  been  examined  by  my  brother  missionaries." 
His  difficulties  were  not  all  merely  mechanical,  nor 
were  his  worst  troubles  with  the  native  workmen. 
During  the  period  of  building,  two  of  his  contractors 
died,  another  decamped.  "  Drunkenness,"  he  says, 
"  among  the  European  v/orkmen  has  been  one  of  the 
difficulties  with  which  I  have  had  to  contend  ;  and 
I  am  sorry  to  say  that  natives  are  always  found  who 
are  willing  to  bring  the  brandy  for  these  men,  although 
they  have  to  go  seventy  miles  for  it." 

At  last,  however,  the  work  drew  to  a  conclusion, 
and  in  the  month  of  January  1879,  the  tutor  and 
builder  of  the  Moffat  Institution  was  able  to  send 
in  a  report  to  the  Directors,  which  described  the 
structures  as  practically  completed.  It  occurred  to 
him  that  it  would  be  only  fair  to  the  subscribers  in 
Great  Britain  and  to  the  Directors  that  they  should 
receive  an  independent  and  authoritative  report  of 
these  buildings.  Through  the  kind  assistance  of 
Major  (afterwards  Sir)  Owen  Lanyon,  Administrator 
of  Griqualand  West,  he  was  fortunate  in  securing 
the  services  of  Sergeant-Major  Ellison,  who  was  at 
that  time  in  public  service  at  Kimberley,  and  who 
was  highly  qualified  as  builder  and  surveyor  for  this 
work.     He  went  to   Kuruman,  and  very  carefully 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


investigated  the  entire  series  of  buildings.  In  his 
report,  after  describing  each  building  in  detail, 
he  adds  : — 

I  have  gone  through  the  accounts  and  examined  the  in- 
voices and  bills  for  material  and  labour,  also  the  agreements 
for  small  contracts  with  the  several  men,  and  I  consider  there 
is  very  great  credit  due  to  Mr  Mackenzie,  who  has  the  manage- 
ment of  the  whole  works,  for  the  zeal  and  abihty  with  which 
the  several  works  have  been  carried  out.  He  has  spared 
neither  time  nor  trouble  to  get  everything  done  at  the  most 
reasonable  cost.  I  have  been  for  the  last  two  years  in  charge 
of  the  public  works  in  Kimberley,  and  for  fourteen  years 
superintending  large  works  and  buildings  under  Government, 
at  home,  in  the  colonies ;  and  from  my  experience  I  have  no 
hesitation  in  stating  that  the  works  at  Kuruman  have,  with  a 
few  slight  exceptions,  been  carried  out  in  the  most  efficient 
manner,  reflecting  very  great  credit  to  those  concerned. 

In  his  own  final  report,  Mackenzie  said,  "  Brethren, 
I  cannot  say  that  the  work  which  you  devolved  upon 
me  has  been  easy  or  pleasant ;  I  hope,  however,  that 
it  is  work  which  will  remain,  and  that  a  good  educa- 
tional work  will  be  carried  on  within  these  buildings 
long  after  we  are  forgotten." 

The  desire  and  great  aim  of  the  Bechuanaland 
missionaries  from  the  first  had  been  for  inexpensive 
buildings  and  a  sufficient  staff,  and  this  was  very 
specially  emphasised  on  several  occasions  by  Mac- 
kenzie. As  it  was,  they  got  expensive  buildings 
and  an  insufficient  staff  They  had,  however,  been 
compelled  by  the  will  of  the  Directors  to  enter  upon 
the  extensive  building  enterprise  which  absorbed  so 
much  energy  during  these  valuable  years.  But  they 
were  encouraged,  even  when  they  saw  the  cost  of 
the  buildings  to  be  approaching  10,000,  by  receiv- 
ing a  letter  from  the  Directors,  in  which  they  invited 
the  missionaries  to  consider  and  report  on  an  enlarged 
scheme  of  educational  development.  With  great  joy 
they  undertook  this  grateful  task  at  the  Bechuanaland 


THE  MOFFAT  INSTITUTION  191 

District  Committee  meeting  of  February  1879.  They 
outlined  a  scheme  for  overtaking  the  work  which  the 
institution,  as  now  reared  at  Kuruman,  seemed  to 
make  both  necessary  and  possible.  In  connection 
with  their  suggestions,  and  in  view  of  the  beginnings 
of  retrenchment  which  the  Directors  began  to  propose 
very  soon  after  that  proposal  of  enlargement,  Mackenzie 
wrote  as  follows  : — 

Kuruman,  md  April  1879. 

My  Dear  Dr  Mullens, — Your  communication  of  Feb. 
6  arrived  at  Barkly  while  I  was  in  that  neighbourhood,  travel- 
ling for  the  benefit  of  my  wife's  health. 

We  were  five  weeks  away  from  Kuruman,  and  I  am  happy 
to  say  that  Mrs  Mackenzie  has  derived  considerable  benefit 
from  those  great  doctors,  fresh  air  and  change  of  scene. 

The  instructions  of  the  Directors  with  reference  to  the 
expenditure  on  the  building  of  the  Moffat  Institution  shall 
be  attended  to.  The  carpenter  and  painter  has  not  finished 
his  work.  When  he  does  so  there  will  be  a  balance  to  pay 
to  him.  Then  one  waggon-house  has  still  to  be  roofed,  and 
the  second  waggon-house  and  mealie  store  has  not  yet  made 
much  progress.  But  it  is  to  be  of  sun-dried  brick,  with 
thorn-wood  roof,  and  will  not,  therefore,  cost  much.  It 
is  of  importance  not  only  as  a  waggon-house  and  store- 
room, but  one  end  of  it  is  to  be  appropriated  to  the  boys 
of  the  boarding  school  as  a  dormitory,  as  it  is  not  advisable 
that  they  should  sleep  in  their  class-room,  if  that  could  be 
avoided. 

I  wait  with  anxiety  your  report  concerning  irrigation  and 
the  raised  furrow.  (For  which  a  skilled  agriculturist  bad 
been  asked  by  the  Committee.)  I  have  the  utmost  sympathy 
with  the  position  of  the  officers  and  Directors  of  the  Society 
at  this  time  of  distress.  Still  I  beg  to  remind  the  large- 
minded  and  far-seeing  friends  of  Christian  work  that  our 
beloved  Society  is  on  the  threshold  of  a  great  work  in 
South  Africa  in  connection  with  this  Institution,  a  work 
often  attempted,  but  not  hitherto  attained  to  in  this  country, 
but  which  the  Society  is  carrying  on  with  much  advantage 
to  the  natives  in  the  South  Seas,  in  Madagascar,  and  in 
India.  It  is  gratifying  to  read  of  instances  of  individual 
liberality  in  stimulating  to  evangelistic  effort,  and  the  break- 
ing up  of  new  ground.    Would  to  God  some  generous  man 


192 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


would  thus  interest  himself  in  your  educational  work  here, 
and  enable  you  fairly  to  launch  it,  by  sending  out  the 
labourers  still  necessary  to  make  up  the  Institution,  and 
necessary  to  carry  on  its  operations  successfully.  If  it 
should  come  to  be  a  question  between  sending  out  the 
necessary  staff  of  workers  and  sanctioning  the  outlay  in 
raising  the  dam,  etc.,  by  all  means  let  us  have  the  staff  of 
workers,  and  let  us  hope  on  for  better  times  as  to  the 
raised  furrow  ;  that  is  if  one  or  the  other  must  be  given 
up.  On  no  account  give  up  the  work  in  its  broadness  and 
importance.  It  was  delayed  at  least  one  generation  too  long 
in  Bechuanaland ;  in  the  name  of  our  blessed  Lord  and 
Master  let  it  be  delayed  no  longer. 

I  thank  you  for  your  kind  expressions  concerning  the 
services  which,  along  with  my  brethren,  I  have  been  able  to 
render  to  the  Society  in  the  matter  of  its  property  at 
Kuruman  and  elsewhere.  I  regret  that  we  have  not  been 
able  to  obtain  a  settlement  as  to  the  Eye  of  the  Fountain 
property.  It  may  be  of  importance  to  remind  you  that  when 
Col.  Warren  spoke  favourably  of  your  claim  to  "  the  Eye," 
it  was  with  a  distinct  understanding  that  we  should  carry  on 
here  a  really  good  and  serviceable  educational  and  industrial 
estabhshment  for  the  benefit  of  the  natives. 

If  you  give  the  Institution  the  staff  of  men  asked  by  the 
Committee  it  would  be  possible — I  had  almost  said  easy — 
for  them  so  to  arrange  as  that  visits  to  the  out-stations 
should  be  paid  by  them  after  some  kind  of  plan,  and  as  a 
break  to  them  in  their  work  of  teachi?ig — say  once  every  three 
or  every  four  months.  Thus  it  is  not  necessary  to  have  a 
European  Missionary  at  Kuruman,  who  shall  be  only  pastor. 
Every  European  comiected  with  the  Society  at  Kuruman  ought 
to  have  a  place  afid  a  work  on  your  Institution  Staff,  and  that 
Staff  with  the  students  will  attend  to  the  pastoral  and 
itinerating  work  of  the  district.  I  am  willing  to  take  the 
responsibility  of  this  as  Tutor  and  Pastor  of  the  Kuruman 
Church;  and  I  do  this  trusting  to  the  co-operation  of  my 
European  co-workers  here. 

In  the  meantime,  I  have  to  report  that  there  are  now 
scarcely  any  of  the  usual  Langberg  out-stations  to  visit,  owing 
to  the  "  unsettled  state  of  the  country  "  to  which  you  refer  in 
your  concluding  resolutions  as  an  element  which  might  cause 
your  arrangements  to  be  open  to  revision.    For  instance. 


THE  MOFFAT  INSTITUTION 


193 


many  of  the  people  of  the  Langberg  are  now  Hving  at 
Batlaros ;  and  the  village  of  Hamohara,  where  a  student 
from  the  Institution  had  resided  some  three  years,  is  now 
removed  to  a  spot  within  six  miles  of  Kuruman,  and  is 
regularly  supplied  by  the  students  who  have,  in  all,  four 
preaching  stations  which  they  regularly  visit  on  Sunday. 

The  surprise  and  dismay  of  those  upon  the  spot 
may  be  imagined  w^hen,  under  a  sudden  change  of 
atmosphere  in  London,  letters  arrived  from  the 
Directors  which  dwelt  upon  the  expense  of  the 
buildings,  and  criticised  the  smallness  of  the  educa- 
tional work.  One  of  the  periodical  depressions  had 
come,  affecting  the  income  of  the  Society  from  the 
churches,  and  the  Directors  did  not  feel  themselves 
in  a  position  to  pay  for  the  staff  of  so  lordly^  an 
institution  as  they  had  erected  at  Kuruman.  It 
seemed  to  be  held  by  some  that  an  advanced  theo- 
logical college  could  be  in  a  trice  established  in  a 
land  where  elementary  education  had  not  been 
seriously  tackled,  and  yet  it  was  even  hinted  that  the 
teaching  of  English  in  the  boy^s'  school  was  a  work 
of  supererogation.  It  was  in  answer  to  such  a  letter 
that  Mackenzie  addressed  the  following  words  of 
remonstrance  : — 

In  making  the  remarks  which  follow,  I  am  not  to  be 
supposed  to  have  little  or  no  sympathy  with  the  Directors  of 
the  Society  in  their  pecuniary  difficulties.  I  am  greatly 
distressed  on  account  of  those  difficulties,  and  especially  that 
they  should  occur  at  such  a  crisis  as  the  present  in  the  history 
of  this  mission.  As  I  understand  the  subject,  the  Directors 
resolved  to  accomplish  three  objects  in  building  the  Moffat 
Institution  here.  It  may  not  be  out  of  place  to  consider 
how  far  these  have  been  secured,  or  are  in  the  way  of  being 
secured,  and  good  for  all  practical  purposes. 

I.  Memorial  to  Dr  Moffat. 

I.  Bricks,  as  proposed  by  local  committee,  were 
exchanged  for  stone  which  was  undoubtedly 
more  suitable  for  a  memorial. 
N 


194 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


2.  While  the  general  idea  of  the  Committee's  plan 
was  adhered  to,  Mr  Robbins,  in  consultation  with 
Dr  Moffat,  changed,  improved,  and  beautified 
it  very  much.  This  also  added  to  its  suit- 
ability as  a  memorial.  But  here  also  comes  in 
the  second  object  of  the  Directors  as  announced 
in  the  Foreign  Secretary's  letters  at  the  time 
the  plan  was  sent  out,  viz. — 

II.  That  the  building  itself  should  be  an  educator  in  the 
country  on  account  of  the  style  of  its  architecture. 

III.  The  third  object,  and  the  original  one,  upon  which  the 
two  former  were  engrafted  by  the  Directors,  was  to  supply 
suitable  premises  for  conducting  a  Theological  Seminary  and 
a  boarding  school  for  boys. 

Now,  brethren,  the  two  first  of  these  objects,  which  have 
entirely  originated  with  you  in  England,  have  been  secured 
to  a  great  extent,  as  you  can  see  from  Mr  Ellison's  plan  : 
although  two  wings  remain  to  be  built  before  your  plan 
would  be  a  complete  thing.  But,  in  the  meantime,  here  the 
Memorial  stands  in  good  masonry  and  durable  material,  as  a 
thoroughly  qualified  inspector  has  certified  to  you ;  here  it 
stands  to  perform  its  second  or  silent  educational  work.  It 
has  already  been  instanced  publicly  in  Kimberley  by  Sir 
Bartle  Frere,  in  laying  the  foundation  stone  of  the  Presby- 
terian Church  there,  as  a  stimulus  to  well  directed  Christian 
liberality.  The  first  remark  of  skilled  men  such  as  Col. 
Warren  of  the  Royal  Engineers,  on  first  seeing  the  Institution, 
has  been  one  of  unfeigned  pleasure  and  surprise.  They  had 
heard  they  were  beautiful  buildings  ;  they  had  expected  some- 
thing far  short  of  what  they  saw.  Such  sums  as  ^20,000 
and  ;£2 5,000  have  been  hazarded  as  "what  it  must  have 
cost  :  "  and  that,  too,  by  practical  men.  As  to  the  first  two 
objects  therefore,  the  Directors  have  perfectly  succeeded  in 
doing  what  they  resolved  to  do. 

As  to  the  third  object  in  view — the  schools,  cottages  for 
ten  married  students,  and  the  two  teachers'  dwelling  houses, 
are  very  suitable.  As  summer  residences  they  are  perfect. 
In  the  bitterly  cold  winter  weather  the  height  of  the  walls 
(fourteen  feet  under  beam),  renders  the  schoolroom  almost 
unbearable  to  the  natives  :  in  the  plan  the  height  is  fifteen 
feet :  the  one  foot  of  masonry  taken  off  all  round  represents 
a  considerable  saving  in  money.  But  every  foot  taken  off 
detracts  from  the  gracefulness  of  the  building  as  a  Memorial, 


THE  MOFFAT  INSTITUTION  195 


rendering  it  of  a  more  homely  character ;  and  it  must  always 
be  remembered  that  we  were  forbidden  in  the  letter  accom- 
panying the  plan  to  make  important  alterations  in  the  plan 
without  the  express  sanction  of  the  Directors.  As  the  build- 
ings made  progress,  and  now  more  than  two  years  ago,  a 
number  of  queries  were  sent  out  by  the  Directors  accompanied 
by  an  encouraging  letter.  We  were  asked  to  sketch  out  the 
work  which  as  a  local  committee  we  thought  might  be 
advantageously  carried  on  here  ;  and  to  give  to  the  Directors 
an  idea  of  the  cost.  Most  unfortunately  our  local  committee 
postponed  its  sitting  for  more  than  a  year ;  and  when  at 
length  it  meets  and  sends  home  a  sketch  of  the  work  which 
might  advantageously  be  carried  on  at  Kuruman,  I  can  only 
say  that  it  is  not  received  in  the  spirit  which  was  uppermost 
in  the  Directors'  minds  when  the  sketch  was  asked  for.  This 
leads  me  to  wish  that  our  committee  meeting  had  been  held 
sooner,  in  the  sunnier  days  when  the  questions  concerning 
our  work  here  were  put  to  us.  The  opposing  ideas  may  be 
put  thus  :  "  Having  built  such  an  expensive  Institution  we 
shall  spend  no  more  money  there  whatever :  we  feel  inclined 
to  think  the  money  has  been  wasted."  The  reply  to 
which  is  :  "  Not  a  penny  has  been  wasted,  so  far  as  reliable 
evidence  goes ;  only  our  wishes  as  Directors  have  been 
carefully  and  skilfully  carried  out.  Having  built  such  aii 
expe?istve  Institutio?i^  let  us  not  suddenly  stop  short  there  ; 
especially  when  a  httle  further  consideration  and  outlay 
would  complete  a  worthy  scheme."  The  first  mission-house 
is  empty  :  were  a  lady  teacher  at  Kuruman  now,  she  might 
commence  her  work  among  the  girls  at  once.  Were  a 
printer  sent  out — a  good  man  all  round — //  ivould  be  like 
pumpi7ig  life-blood  into  shrunken  veins.  Acres  on  acres  of 
arable  land  are  lying  waste  before  our  eyes ;  it  is  usually 
the  first  thing  a  traveller  says,  Why  don't  you  reclaim  that 
morass  ?  The  agriculturist  would  soon  more  than  pay  for 
himself ;  and  would  place  the  property  of  the  Society  here 
in  such  a  position  as  that  the  special  work  carried  on  here 
would  be  little  or  no  expense  to  the  general  fund.  Therefore, 
dear  brethren — 

I.  Send  us  a  lady  teacher  i7i  redeitiption  of  your  oiV7i  pro- 
posal— I  believe  in  1873 — when  Miss  Waterston  offered  her 
services,  and  the  Committee  declined  the  offer,  hoping  to 
get  the  services  of  (another  lady). 


196  JOHN  MACKENZIE 


2.  Send  us  a  printer — because  your  mission  at  its  present 
state  cannot  make  progress  without  one. 

3.  Send  us  an  agriculturist — to  save  vioney. 

It  was  Mackenzie's  profound  conviction  that  the 
greatest  work  could  be  done  now  for  Bechuanaland, 
so  far  as  the  Missionary  Society  was  concerned,  by 
appointing  a  competent  and  adequate  staff  of  teachers 
and  workers,  who  should  co-operate  at  Kuruman  in 
laying  the   foundations  for  an  educational  system 
over  the  whole  country.     With  a  thorough  woman 
teacher  over  a  girls'  boarding  school,  and  with  a  good 
boys'  boarding  school,  efficient  superintendence  of  the 
printing  office  and  development  of  the  farming  lands 
which  already  belonged  to  the  Society,  as  well  as  with 
his  own  continuous  labour  among  the  students  in  the 
Seminary,  it  was  his  conviction  that  a  great  enthusiasm 
for  education  would  be  awakened  throughout  Bechu- 
analand.    Moreover,  this  craving  could  gradually  be 
satisfied  in  every  town  and  village,  as  the  Moffat 
Institution   year  by  year  sent   out    intelligent  and 
devoted  native  teachers  to  spread  the  work  abroad. 
This  staff  of  men  and  women  would  have  had  in 
Kuruman   and  the  surrounding  villages  a  splendid 
field  upon  which  to  employ  their  evangelistic  energies 
with  greater  concentration  and  continuity  than  had 
been  possible  before.     Even  as  it  was,  the  Moffat 
Institution  sent  out  men  upon  whom  Mackenzie  had 
directed  his  whole  energy  for  three  years  each,  and 
this  continued  until  he  left  the  place  in  1882.  Most 
of  these  men  are  labouring  to-day  all  over  Bechuana- 
land, from  the  Orange  River  to  the  Zambesi.  What 
might  have  happened  if  the  Directors  had  responded, 
or  had  been  able  to  respond,  to  the  demands  of  the 
Bechuanaland  missionaries,  if  they  had  set  themselves 
with  great  energy  to  the  development  of  this  educa- 
tional work,  it  is  hard  to  say.     Possibly  this  might 
have  made  all  the  difference  in  Mackenzie's  own  plans 


THE  MOFFAT  INSTITUTION  197 

and  the  important  decisions  which  were  so  soon  forced 
upon  him.  The  subsequent  history  of  education  at 
Kuruman  and  in  Bechuanaland  would  seem  to  indicate 
that  a  great,  a  very  great,  opportunity  was  lost  at  this 
time. 

With  the  year  1879,  when  the  buildings  of  the 
institution  were  almost  completed,  Mackenzie  assumed 
the  full  charge  of  the  Kuruman  Mission  Station.  This 
involved,  of  course,  regular  preaching,  much  organising 
and  constant  pastoral  work.  As  we  shall  see  later, 
disturbances  among  the  natives  lasted  for  the  next 
three  years,  and  resulted  in  war  against  British  forces  ; 
the  whole  country  of  South  Bechuanaland  was  for  long 
kept  in  a  miserable  turmoil  and  unrest.  This  brought 
upon  the  pastor  of  the  Kuruman  station  an  enormous 
amount  of  spiritual  as  well  as  political  labour.  It  is 
with  the  former  that  we  are  at  present  concerned. 
More  than  two  hundred  pages  of  large  size  note-paper 
remain,  which  are,  for  the  most  part,  covered  with  notes 
on  individual  cases,  to  prove  the  minuteness,  the  care 
and  the  tenderness  with  which  Mackenzie  laboured 
amongst  the  natives  through  those  years.  These 
pages  contain  the  names  of  candidates  for  baptism 
inquirers  and  applicants  for  church  membership,  as 
v/ell  as  particulars  of  various  kinds  of  discipline.  The 
student  of  religion  and  of  society  is,  in  the  reading  of 
such  notes,  brought  in  a  most  vivid  way  to  realise  the 
immense  power  which  the  Christian  Church  exerts  in 
a  heathen  land.  The  jottings  show  that  on  almost 
the  whole  range  of  what  we  call  the  moral  life,  the 
Church  was  the  only  institution  in  the  Kuruman  dis- 
trict which  could  teach  the  principles  of  right  living 
and  use  forces  that  would  help  to  secure  it.  The 
pastor  studies  each  case,  notes  down  the  salient  points 
of  each  personal  history  ;  then  he  reports  these  to  the 
native  deacons  and  discusses  everything  with  them  ; 
then  he  presents  them  to  the  Church  as  a  whole,  and 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


guides  the  i^Church  to  a  right  decision  on  Christian 
grounds  in  relation  to  each  man  and  woman  whose 
name  is  presented.  These  jottings  comprise  particu- 
lars regarding  the  station  in  life,  the  education  or 
no-education,  and  the  Christian  experience,  as  well 
as  the  moral  standing  of  these  Bechuana  people.  They 
show  that  the  tumult  of  the  war  had  led  many  astray 
into  cattle-stealing  and  depredations  of  other  kinds  ; 
even  some  church  officers  had  for  a  time  lost  their 
balance.  These  records  prove  again  that  one  of  the 
greatest  tasks  of  the  Church  in  such  a  land  is  to 
strengthen  the  marriage  bond.  Constantly  cases  of 
desertion  by  husband  or  wife  are  recorded,  and  these 
are  dealt  with  by  the  Church. 

It  is  when  one  reads  the  life-story  of  these  mission- 
aries in  heathen  and  primitive  lands  that  one  realises 
the  breadth  and  the  strength  of  grasp  which  the 
Christian  religion  lays  upon  human  society.  The 
missionary  presents  in  his  personality  and  in  his 
actual  work  that  synthesis  which  some  economic 
students  of  our  day  discuss  so  much,  and  about 
which  a  few  of  them  have  so  many  dreams.  Here 
is  a  man  who  at  once  is  a  builder  of  houses,  showing 
people  a  new  ideal  of  permanence  and  beauty  in  the 
structures  which  he  rears  ;  he  is  at  the  same  time  the 
agriculturist,  giving  them  new  ideas  and  desires  in  the 
development  of  lands  which  have  been  for  ages  treated 
as  waste  lands  ;  he  is  the  teacher,  labouring  to  awaken 
the  intellect  of  picked  men  and  lead  them  at  least  into 
the  vestibule  of  the  intellectual  life  ;  he  is  also  at  the 
same  time,  as  we  shall  see,  the  ruler,  who,  for  a  long 
time,  actually  represents  the  British  Government  among 
them,  and  to  whom  natives  of  all  classes  come  from 
many  towns  in  all  directions  for  help,  and  to  whom 
Government  officials  look  for  information  and  for 
advice ;  he  is  also  the  preacher,  proclaiming  the 
Gospel  of  the  Grace  of  God  in  Christ  Jesus,  believing 


THE  MOFFAT  INSTITUTION 


in  his  heart  of  hearts  that  that  is  the  root  and  crown 
of  all  human  experience,  and  that  all  his  other  work 
receives  its  true  interpretation  in  the  light  of  this 
fundamental  relationship  ;  and  we  see  finally  that  he 
is  the  spiritual  shepherd  of  a  very  large  flock,  striving 
to  know  each  sheep  by  name  and  disposition,  giving 
every  week  many  hours  of  his  congested  days  to  that 
which  he  believes  to  be  his  supreme  task,  viz.,  dealing 
with  the  characters  of  men  and  women  in  the  light  of 
the  Law  of  God  and  the  Cross  of  Christ. 

The  following  letter  to  the  Directors  was  written 
when  the  first  and  most  acute  stage  of  the  disturbances 
had  passed  away,  and  will,  in  Mackenzie's  own  words, 
illustrate  what  has  been  said  : — 

KURUMAN,  1st  August  1879. 

Rev.  J.  O.  Whitehouse,  Acting  Foreign  Sec'y,  L.M.S. 

My  Dear  Mr  Whitehouse, — The  Directors  will 
have  understood  that  this  station  and  neighbourhood  has 
been  a  rallying  point  and  place  of  refuge  for  the  natives 
during  the  late  disturbances.  During  the  past  year  there 
has  been  probably  a  larger  population  on  the  Kuruman 
river-course  than  has  been  seen  there  since  the  time  when 
the  Batlaping  were  united  and  living  there.  It  is  a  matter 
of  thankfulness  to  us  that  we  were  enabled  to  hold  on  here 
during  the  time  of  the  disturbances  :  for  the  large  congrega- 
tion of  people  to  which  I  have  referred  has  assembled  on 
account  of  the  proximity  of  this  station,  and  the  confidence 
which  the  people  of  all  classes  have  in  those  residing  here. 

Inasmuch  as  the  people  would  soon  separate  and  return  to 
their  former  places  of  abode,  I  judged  it  to  be  of  great  im- 
portance to  enter  into  all  questions  affecting  their  Christian 
character  and  standing  in  the  Church  while  the  events  were 
fresh  in  people's  minds,  and  before  they  broke  up. 

I  therefore  announced  from  the  pulpit  that  I  would  devote 
a  certain  portion  of  one  day  in  the  week  to  meet  with  any 
refugee  Church  members  who  might  wish  to  speak  to  me. 
Up  to  the  present  time  I  have  seen  and  examined  over  160 
connected  with  outside  churches.  Of  these  I  have  received 
back  into  the  Church  117  people,  several  of  whom  have 
already  removed  to  Griqualand  and  elsev/here  with  their 


200 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


certificate  of  membership  in  their  possession.  Of  the 
remaining  number  there  are  those  who  have  been  engaged 
in  aggressive  warfare :  and  among  them  I  am  sorry  to  say 
there  are  four  deacons  or  teachers  whose  conduct  has  been 
highly  unsatisfactory.  Two  have  been  engaged  in  open 
warfare  of  an  aggressive  nature,  one  having  been  persuaded 
to  join  an  attack  on  Campbell,  the  other  to  join  a  similar 
attack  on  Griquatown.  The  latter  had  all  but  succeeded  in 
re-entering  the  Church  through  deception — he  having  striven 
to  keep  it  secret  that  he  had  been  one  of  this  party.  Whilst 
keeping  back  such  men — over  whom  the  old  cattle-lifting 
spirit  has  got  the  mastery — I  have  endeavoured  to  do  so  in 
such  a  way  as  not  to  lead  them  to  be  unduly  discouraged. 
And  I  am  happy  to  say  that  all  who  have  called  on  me,  and 
who  are  still  under  discipline  for  the  part  they  have  taken  in 
the  breach  of  at  least  the  sixth  and  eighth  Commandments, 
show  some  symptoms  of  shame,  and  some  of  them,  I  trust, 
of  repentance  for  what  they  have  done. 

Several  admirable  cases  of  steadfastness  came  to  my 
knowledge  during  their  examination,  in  which  Christian 
men  had  had  the  courage  to  oppose  the  war-party.  Others 
had  been  simply  bewildered  :  others  saw  what  was  coming, 
but  were  weak  and  half-hearted  :  others  again  actually  used 
their  influence  in  the  wrong  direction.  It  is  pleasant  to 
think  of  the  village  of  Hamohara,  with  its  teacher  from  this 
Institution — in  a  small  scale  like  Kuruman  itself — as  a  place 
of  refuge  for  Europeans  as  well  as  for  well-disposed  natives. 
When  teacher  and  people  actually  left  Hamohara,  it  was  for 
fear  of  the  war-party  among  their  own  people,  and  they  came 
as  a  body  and  settled  down  in  our  neighbourhood  here. 

I  shall  give  a  single  instance  of  the  state  of  things  which 
obtained  in  this  country  last  year.  The  village  of  Tlose, 
25  miles  east,  presided  over  by  old  Molete  its  chief  and 
Holele  his  eldest  son,  was  for  a  considerable  time  untainted 
by  the  war  spirit.  Great  kindness  was  shown  to  forlorn 
Europeans  who  had  escaped  from  the  murderers  at  Daniel's 
Kuil.  Waggons  were  sent  for  survivors,  and  for  their 
property.  Clothing  and  food  were  given  to  the  destitute 
Europeans  by  Holele,  who  did  his  best  for  them.  But 
some  of  the  murderers  themselves  approached  the  town  : 
Griquas  fleeing  from  the  European  forces  also  crept  in. 
There  was  no  lack  of  beef  at  the  encampments  of  these 
strangers.    They  rode  beautiful  horses ;   and  it  was  here 


THE  MOFFAT  INSTITUTION  201 


understood  that  horses  and  cattle  were  the  property  of  the 
white  people.  Holele  protested  ;  old  Molete  spoke  sharply  ; 
and  soon  these  people  would  have  had  to  seek  other  quarters. 
But  fresh  arrivals  took  place — among  them  one  of  our  native 
teachers,  an  old  man,  along  with  another  of  Molete's  friends. 
Holele  now  found  himself  alone  in  his  town  :  his  father  and 
his  own  brothers  went  over  to  the  war-party,  and  soon  the 
attack  on  Campbell  was  organised,  and  those  engaged  in 
it  departed  from  Tlose  in  spite  of  Holele's  efforts  to  the 
contrary.  This  change  in  the  disposition  of  his  father 
Holele  attributed  to  the  evil  counsels  of  a  man  called 
Likatshane  and  our  native  teacher  Jonathan,  all  of  the 
young  men  of  whose  family  joined  the  attack  on  Campbell. 
On  his  first  arrival  here  Holele  gave  me  an  account  of  his 
difficulties,  and  how  he  had  left  his  own  kith  and  kin  and 
had  proceeded  to  Hamohara  rather  than  be  mixed  up 
with  the  cattle-lifting,  etc.  He  also  expressed  his  great 
disappointment  at  the  kind  of  influence  which  Jonathan 
and  the  other  men  had  had  on  his  father.  Time  passed 
on ;  the  cattle-lifters  fell  in  the  several  engagements,  or 
gave  themselves  up,  were  fined  or  imprisoned,  or  otherwise 
punished:  and  intimation  was  given  that  the  refugee  Christians 
who  wished  to  be  recognised  as  Church  members  must  call 
on  the  missionary  and  explain  to  him  their  history  during 
the  past  few  months.  Among  the  rest  came  Jonathan,  who 
was  confronted  with  the  facts  which  I  had  learned,  but  without 
mentioning  the  source  of  my  information.  At  first  he 
demurred  to  the  truth  of  the  report  which  I  had  heard ;  but 
afterwards  admitted  his  great  shortcomings  as  a  Christian 
teacher  at  such  a  juncture.  He  said  he  saw  now  that  he 
might  have  done  better.  I  was  amused  and  gratified  also, 
to  see  the  well-disposed  Holele  make  his  appearance  one 
day  desiring  a  private  interview,  which  I  granted  at  once. 
"  About  Jonathan,  Sir ;  I  have  come  to  say  that  I  hope  you 
won't  think  too  hardly  of  old  Jonathan.  My  father  and 
brothers  were  greatly  to  blame  ;  I  don't  know  what  possessed 
everybody  at  that  time ;  but  I  hope.  Sir,  you  won't  think  too 
hardly  of  old  Jonathan."  I  went  over  the  evejits  which  had 
transpired,  and  asked  if  these  things  had  taken  place  ?  "  Yes  ; 
they  were  all  true."  "Then,"  I  said,  "  kindness  to  Jonathan 
must  teach  him  what  harm  he  has  done  before  we  receive 
him  again  among  our  number."  I  might  give  you  many  an 
interesting  story,  as  unfolded  to  me  at  these  interviews  ;  but 


202 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


the  above  must  suffice  to  describe  the  kind  of  thing  with 
which  we  have  had  to  do. 

I  have  just  returned  from  paying  a  visit  to  Griquatown, 
which  I  undertook  with  a  view  to  complete  the  work  of  re- 
organization, and  also  to  inquire  on  the  spot  into  certain 
charges  brought  by  some  of  the  Church  members  against 
our  teacher  there,  Jan  Sepego.  I  found  that  the  charges  had 
not  been  proved,  although  the  conduct  of  Sepego  had  not 
been  altogether  satisfactory.  I  was  nearly  a  week  in  Griqua- 
town ;  some  four  days  at  Daniel's  Kuil,  where  we  have  now 
a  considerable  number  of  Church  members,  being  one 
Sunday  at  each  of  these  places.  As  I  did  most  of  the 
travelling  on  horseback,  my  waggon  following  me,  I  was  only 
a  fortnight  away  from  home.  Having  heard  all  that  they 
had  to  say  against  one  another  at  Griquatown,  and  seeing 
that  there  was  more  ill-feeling  than  wrong-doing,  I  reached 
down  the  large  Dutch  Bible  from  the  pulpit  and  read  to 
them  the  text,  "And  forgive  us  our  debts,"  etc.  This  had 
the  desired  impression  :  the  idea  was  startling  that  if  they 
were  living  unforgivingly  they  were  not  forgiven  of  God.  At 
length  all  had  spoken  in  a  friendly  way  except  Sepego  and 
the  woman  who  was  his  chief  accuser — his  chief  helper  as 
she  called  herself.  I  read  the  verse  again.  The  woman 
said  she  would  go  home  and  think  of  it.  Jan  was  silent. 
Their  hearts  were  sore — having  spoken  much  against  one 
another.  I  asked  how  they  proposed  to  live  any  length  of 
time  not  forgiving  one  another.  Both  rose  as  of  one  accord, 
a  good  expression  came  into  their  faces,  and  they  shook 
hands  over  the  past.  I  told  them  there,  assembled  as  a 
Church,  that  I  had  found  things  in  such  a  state  that  I  did 
not  feel  it  to  be  my  duty  to  administer  to  them  the  ordinance 
of  the  Lord's  Supper  on  the  occasion  of  that  visit ;  but  that 
T  would  endeavour  to  return  in  say  three  months,  and  that 
then,  if  I  found  they  were  all  living  in  love  and  good  works 
I  should  have  pleasure  in  calling  them  together  to  com- 
memorate their  Saviour's  death. 

Wishing  you  much  pleasure  and  satisfaction  in  your  work 
as  Secretary  during  Dr  Mullens'  absence. — I  remain,  my  dear 
Mr  Whitehouse,  ever  yours  sincerely, 

John  Mackenzie. 

When  in  1882  Mackenzie  left  Kuruman  for  his 
second  visit  to  the  homeland  he  little  thought  that  he 


THE  MOFFAT  INSTITUTION  203 


was  starting  on  a  furlough  which  would  separate  him 
entirely  and  finally  from  his  beloved  work  at  Kuru- 
man.  He  had  already  proved,  as  we  shall  describe 
later,  when  temptation  to  forsake  the  Society  and  the 
Institution  came  before  him,  how  profound  was  his  love 
for  that  work.  He  especially  valued  the  task  assigned 
to  him  to  instruct  and  mould  the  men  who  were  to 
become  the  native  ministers  and  teachers  of  their  own 
land.  These  men  were  selected  from  a  large  number 
of  applicants  with  very  great  care  by  the  Seminary 
Committee.  They  were  picked  men  upon  whom 
great  confidence  could  be  placed,  who  had  shown 
themselves  both  intelligent  and  earnest  in  their 
Christian  faith.  The  care  with  which  they  were 
selected  and  the  determination  not  to  run  up  expenses 
had  kept  the  numbers  down,  so  that  up  to  the  year 
1875  only  six  regular  students  had  been  admitted. 
In  1875  and  1876  owing  to  the  removal  to  Kuruman, 
and  the  task  of  putting  up  the  new  cottages,  no 
students  were  admitted.  But  from  that  date  the 
numbers  increased,  so  that  in  1882,  when  he  left  his 
work,  Mackenzie  had  two  classes  which  comprised  in 
all  eight  students.  There  was  at  that  time  every 
prospect  that  the  number  would  increase,  for  the 
recent  disturbances  and  the  advent  of  large  numbers 
of  white  men  had  quickened  the  desire  for  learning, 
and  had  made  large  numbers  of  Christians  more 
zealous  than  before.  The  future  of  the  Institution 
was  bright  indeed.  But  during  the  years  i  879-1  881 
he  was  drawn  into  another  kind  of  work,  which  was 
forced  upon  him  by  the  political  and  social  history  of 
South  Bechuanaland.  And  that  work,  now  appear- 
ing to  him  as  inevitable  (but  inevitable  for  the  next 
ten  years),  became  the  supreme  and  absorbing  burden 
of  his  heart. 


CHAPTER  VIII 


KURUMAN  AN   UNPAID  ADMINISTRATOR 

(1877-1879) 

Great  Britain  for  more  than  twenty  years  faithfully 
observed  her  compact  with  the  Transvaal  Government 
that  she  would  not  make  treaties  with  any  native 
tribes  north  of  the  Vaal  River.  But  two  events 
occurred  which  brought  her,  even  against  her  will,  into 
relations  with  these  tribes.  In  the  first  place,  the 
famous  Keate  Award,  which  was  the  result  of  a  dis- 
pute between  the  Transvaal  and  certain  chiefs,  fixed 
or  seemed  to  fix,  a  definite  south-western  boundary 
for  the  South  African  Republic  ;  and,  in  the  second 
place,  the  annexation  of  Griqualand  West,  the  territory 
which  included  the  Diamond  Fields,  extended  British 
territory  north  of  the  Orange  River  into  Bechuanaland 
itself  In  addition,  we  must  reckon  the  rapid  accu- 
mulation of  European  inhabitants  in  the  Diamond 
Fields  district,  with  the  increased  stimulus  which  they 
gave  to  farming  operations  as  w^ell  as  general  com- 
merce. More  Europeans  than  ever  spread  themselves 
over  the  country,  and  the  work  of  sweeping  the  natives 
out  of  the  ownership  of  their  lands  proceeded  apace. 
Many  were  the  stories  of  downright  robbery  which 
were  told  from  village  to  village,  and  which  awoke 
burning  indignation  in  the  hearts  of  native  chiefs,  who 
saw  their  own  prerogatives  invaded  as  well  as  their 
people  wickedly  impoverished.  To  make  these  ex- 
periences somewhat  vivid  it  may  be  well  to  cite  two 
instances,  besides  that  which  Mackenzie  relates  in 
"  Austral-Africa."  ^    The  first  of  these  was  minutely 

ip.  117. 

204 


AN  UNPAID  ADMINISTRATOR  205 


investigated  by  Mackenzie  at  Kuruman  in  1878.  A 
native,  named  Sebelego,  owned  a  farm  called  Skuy 
Fontein  and  held  a  title  to  it  dated  1866,  which  in 
the  year  1877  he  handed  over  to  Mr  Roper,  the 
British  Civil  Commissioner  at  Griquatown.  Now,  in 
the  year  1867  one  Solomon  Kok  had  coveted  this 
land  and  tried  to  establish  a  title  by  the  well-known 
land-grabber's  method  ;  he  simply  proceeded  to  plough 
part  of  it.  This  claim  was  disallowed  by  the  Griqua 
chief  of  that  date.  But  as  soon  as  the  English 
Government  arrived  the  same  man  claimed  this  farm 
under  another  name.  The  rival  claims  were  of  course 
investigated  by  the  British  magistrate.  To  the  con- 
.sternation  of  the  poor  native,  in  1877,  and  after  he 
had  given  up  his  title,  Solomon  Kok  brought  him 
before  the  magistrate's  court  at  Griquatown  on  the 
charge  of  burning  his,  Solomon's,  hut  and  kraals,  and 
filling  up  certain  wells.  The  only  evidence  produced 
in  support  of  the  former  charge  was  rendered  by 
immediate  relatives  of  Solomon's,  while  Sebelego 
pleaded  not  guilty.  As  to  the  second  charge,  he  con- 
fessed that  he  had  filled  up  the  wells,  but  explained 
that  they  were  on  his  own  land,  and  had  been  origi- 
nally opened  by  himself!  For  this  he  was  fined  the 
large  sum  of  £64  ;  part  of  this  he  had  to  borrow  ; 
and,  as  usual,  when  he  came  to  pay  what  he  had 
borrowed  he  found  that  a  further  charge  was  made 
against  him  for  expenses.  The  poor  frightened  man 
was  driven  from  pillar  to  post  by  schemes  like  this 
and  actually  made  a  fugitive  from  his  own  property, 
contrary  to  the  law  and  against  his  will ! 

Another  example  must  be  given  as  Mackenzie 
described  it  to  Col.  Lanyon  : — 

Jantye  (a  native  chief)  has  a  ground  for  complaint  which 
he  never  fails  to  mention  when  I  see  him.  The  friendliness 
of  "  Government "  is  very  good,  he  admits  ;  but  there  is  a 
Mordecai  sitting  in  the  King's  gate  whose  presence  extracts 


206 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


all  the  pleasure  and  satisfaction  which  the  kindness  of  your 

Government  would  otherwise  convey.   Mordecai  is  Mr  G  

(a  Dutchman),  who,  as  you  are  aware,  lost  his  case  as  a 
claimant  for  Likatlong  (Jantye's  town)  in  the  Land  Court  ; 
and  again  in  the  Court  of  Appeal.  But  all  this  Jantye  says 
is  in  the  "  Kantoor,"  or  Court-house  ;  outside  the  Court- 
house and  at  Likatlong  itself  G  still  possesses  Likatlong, 

and  says  he  means  to  stick  to  it. 

It  is  almost  beyond  my  powers  of  belief ;  but  it  seems 
when  Luka,  Jantye's  son,  came  from  the  Interior  he  found 

this  G          occupying  his  (Luka's)  house,  and  told  him  to 

leave  it,  as  he  had  now  returned  and  wanted  his  house.  On 

G  ,  or  his  servant,  refusing,  Luka  proceeded  to  put  the 

things  outside  and  to  take  possession  of  his  house,  when  he 
was  informed  that  the  police  were  coming  to  apprehend  him 
for  breaking  the  peace  and  assaulting  a  white  man  !  Luka 
fled,  and,  I  understand,  has  scarcely  been  over  the  line 
since. 

G   has  been  repeatedly  ordered  or  requested  by 

Jantye  to  leave  ;  but  that  person  seems  to  have  great  con- 
fidence in  his  power  of  staring  Jantye  out  of  countenance, 
and  declines  to  go.  Impudence  and  brow-beating  of  this 
kind  ought  to  get  their  appropriate  reward  ;  and  I  am  sur- 
prised that  this  fellow  is  still  allowed  to  remain  at  Likat- 
long against  the  wishes  of  Jantye,  to  the  embittering  of 
native  feeling  against  the  Government,  and  to  the  discredit 
of  the  English  administration.  The  man  has  lost  his  case 
in  an  EngUsh  court  after  a  fair  trial.  What  would  he  have 
more  ? 

These  incidents,  when  taken  as  examples  of  a  pro- 
cedure which  was  only  too  common,  and  which  almost 
invariably  ended  in  the  defeat  of  the  native  even 
when  he  was  a  man  of  importance  and  education, 
will  account  for  the  feelings  of  unusual  distrust  and 
unrest  which  began  in  1877  to  make  themselves  felt 
throughout  South  Bechuanaland. 

Griqualand  West,  including  Kimberley,  was  under 
the  administration  of  Colonel  (afterwards  Sir)  Owen 
Lanyon,  who  made  it  his  aim  to  meet  these  growing 
evils  as  fairly  and  firmly  as  possible.  He  was  in  con- 
stant correspondence  with  the  High  Commissioner,  Sir 


AN  UNPAID  ADMINISTRATOR  207 


Bartle  Frere,  who  also  entered  into  the  entire  problem 
of  British  relations  towards  border  tribes  with  char- 
acteristic insight  and  enthusiasm.  He  had  reports 
made  to  him  from  various  directions  in  South  Africa 
upon  this  subject,  and  made  up  his  mind  on  the  main 
issues  involved  with  great  clearness  and  assurance. 
His  convictions  led  to  action  which  involved  him  in 
the  Zulu  war  and  in  other  proceedings  which  awoke 
criticism  at  home.  Sir  Bartle  Frere  was  one  of  those 
unfortunate  Governors  of  South  Africa  who  saw  so 
deep  into  British  responsibility,  and  so  far  ahead  into 
coming  history,  that  they  outlined  a  policy  at  once 
bold  and  intelligent.  Because  it  was  bold  it  began 
with  trouble  ;  because  it  was  intelligent  it  would  have 
ended  in  peace,  permanent  and  widespread.  He  it 
was  who  in  1878  began  to  report  to  the  home 
Government  on  the  condition  of  affairs  in  Bechuana- 
land.  In  one  passage  he  evidently  agrees  with  those 
who  held  "  that  it  will  be  found  necessary,  sooner  or 
later,  to  extend  the  British  dominions  or  protectorate, 
in  some  form  or  other,  over  all  the  tribes  between  the 
Orange  River  and  Lake  Ngami,  and  between  the  sea 
and  the  present  Transvaal  frontier,  and  the  longer  it 
is  deferred  the  more  troublesome  will  the  operation 
become."  He  adds  the  following  vigorous  and  most 
true  observations  :  "  By  refusing  to  accept  the  position 
of  a  protecting  power,  habitually  acting  as  arbiter  in 
tribal  disputes,  we  escape  nothing  save  the  name  and 
responsibility.  Its  reality  is  already  incurred,  and 
when  at  length  we  unwillingly  undertake  the  burden 
of  dominions,  we  shall  find  it  greatly  aggravated  by 
delay  and  neglect."  ^ 

In  another  despatch  he  shows  his  grasp  of  the  facts 
by  pointing  out  that  the  establishment  of  two  British 
officers,  say  in  Kuruman  and  Shoshong,  "  would  enor- 
mously strengthen  the  Transvaal  and  Griqualand  West 
1  C.  2220,  p.  35. 


2o8 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


Governments."  This  was  after  the  annexation  of  the 
Transvaal. 

Mackenzie  became  deeply  interested  in  all  these 
occurrences,  and  was  drawn  into  an  ever-enlarging 
correspondence  with  the  British  authorities  upon  the 
subject.  He,  with  the  other  missionaries,  had  long 
given  close  attention  to  the  question  of  land-owner- 
ship among  natives,  and  had  induced  many  natives 
to  become  farmers  in  a  real  sense  of  the  term  ;  they 
encouraged  them  to  use  the  plough  and  to  transport 
their  crops  and  drive  their  cattle  to  suitable  markets. 
Some  natives  succeeded  in  this,  and  their  success  was 
very  likely  to  spread  and  to  create  a  community  of 
Bechuana  stock-raisers  and  grain-producers,  both  pros- 
perous and  law-abiding.  It  was  such  men  whom  the 
missionaries  saw,  to  their  chagrin  and  bitter  disap- 
pointment, ousted  from  their  possessions  and  driven 
into  poverty  and  degradation.  As  a  matter  of  fact, 
these  natives  were  sometimes  so  enterprising  that 
their  influence  was  beginning  to  be  felt  upon  the 
Kimberley  markets  ;  undoubtedly  their  very  pros- 
perity awoke  the  special  resentment  of  their  heredi- 
tary foes,  the  Boers. 

Colonel  Lanyon  had  already  begun  to  experience 
serious  trouble.  Some  of  the  Griquas,  as  well  as 
the  Kaffirs  who  lived  within  his  province,  still  resented 
the  displacement  of  the  Griqua  Government  by  the 
British ;  and  their  resentment  was  fanned  by  such 
instances  of  wrong-doing  as  we  have  related,  as  well 
as  by  the  insolence  of  English  officials  and  even  of 
policemen,  who  despised  and  humiliated  them  at  every 
turn.  The  bitter  feeling  became  so  widespread  and 
so  strong  that  at  last  it  broke  out  in  open  rebellion. 
For  the  double  purpose  of  helping  to  quell  the  re- 
bellion, and  to  deal  with  the  whole  subject  of  land 
claims.  Colonel  (afterwards  Sir)  Charles  Warren,  R.E., 
was  brought  to  Griqualand  West. 


AN  UNPAID  ADMINISTRATOR  209 

Meantime  disaffection  was  rapidly  becoming  warfare 
beyond  the  British  border  in  Bechuanaland  itself. 
Here  matters  were  complicated  by  the  fact  that  a 
certain  chief  named  Mankoroane  had  for  some  years 
been  officially  recognised  as  "  paramount  chief,"  by 
which  Bechuanas  understand  one  thing,  while  the 
Boer  and  British  Governments  at  that  time  under- 
stood quite  another.  Among  Bechuana  tribes,  what 
we  call  paramountcy  simply  means  the  dignity  of  the 
chief  whose  standing  by  birth  is  the  highest  and  whose 
tribe  is  the  strongest.  If  several  tribes  unite  against 
a  common  enemy  he  will  be  recognised  as  leader  of 
them  all  ;  if  a  number  of  chiefs  and  head-men  meet  in 
council  he  will  naturally  be  their  president.  But 
this  paramountcy  does  not  interfere  with  the  complete 
independence  of  the  separate  tribes,  nor  with  the 
authority  of  their  chiefs  within  their  own  territories. 
Paramountcy  was  vaguely  supposed  by  Boers  and 
British  at  one  time  to  imply  much  more  than  this, 
so  that  treaties  or  agreements  or  purchases  of  land 
arranged  with  the  paramount  chief  were  assumed  — 
absurdly,  from  the  native  point  of  view — to  bind  the 
action  of  the  separate  tribes,  or  affect  their  ownership 
of  the  soil.  Now  this  Mankoroane,  who  really 
belonged  to  a  younger  branch  of  the  royal  family 
of  the  Batlaping  tribes,  was  not  at  all  loath  to  act 
in  line  with  the  assumptions  of  these  foreigners, 
since  they  conferred  on  him  much  dignity,  and 
seemed  to  multiply  his  power.  As  soon  as  the 
Transvaal  was  annexed  by  Great  Britain  in  the 
spring  of  1877,  Mankoroane,  advised  evidently  by 
certain  Europeans  who  hoped  to  make  much  out  of 
their  intrigue  with  him,  issued  a  bombastic  pro- 
clamation. In  this  he  calls  himself  paramount 
chief  of  the  Batlaping  nation  and  all  other  tribes 
and  peoples  living  within  the  limit  of  my  country 
as  defined,"  etc.     He  proceeds  to  declare  that  the 

o 


2IO  JOHN  MACKENZIE 


time  had  now  come  for  laying  aside  the  passive 
attitude  which  he  had  maintained,  "  owing  to  my 
august  ally  Queen  Victoria's  Government's  advice  ! " 
The  whole  tone  of  the  proclamation  indicates  the 
determination  in  his  mind  to  assert  what  he  calls 
his  "rightful  authority,"  even  in  places  which,  accord- 
ing to  native  law,  were  beyond  his  jurisdiction. 
Several  of  the  native  tribes  of  course  defied  him. 
When  therefore  Colonel  Lanyon  asked  Mankoroane 
for  permission  to  enter  his  territory  at  the  head  of 
an  armed  force,  in  order  to  punish  a  certain  chief 
(Botlasitse)  who  had  defied  British  authority  within 
British  territory,  and  who  at  the  same  time  resented 
the  so-styled  paramount  chiefs  assumption  of  authority 
over  him,  Mankoroane  gladly  consented.  This  gave 
him  one  more  proof  that  his  authority  and  power 
were  recognised.  Colonel  Lanyon  undoubtedly  had 
a  right  to  make  this  expedition,  since  Botlasitse  had 
carried  off  cattle  from  within  British  territory,  and 
in  such  a  manner  as,  from  the  native  point  of  view, 
to  make  his  act  a  declaration  of  war. 

Into  these  local  disturbances  there  was  introduced 
a  very  serious  complication  from  the  far  east.  The 
apparent  success  of  Sekukuni  against  the  Boers  had 
become  exaggerated  as  accounts  of  it  spread  across 
the  country.  Agitators  of  a  reckless  kind  did  not 
shrink  from  going  about  assuring  the  natives  in  the 
Cape  Colony,  in  Griqualand  West,  and  in  Bechuana- 
land  that  it  would  not  be  impossible  to  drive  the 
white  men  out  of  their  land,  and  that  if  they  would 
only  rise  at  once,  and  all  together,  the  great 
deliverance  could  be  accomplished.  From  village 
to  village  these  suggestions  were  whispered,  and  the 
air  became  thick  with  schemings  and  threatenings 
and  personal  ambitions.  The  chiefs  of  the  various 
Bechuana  tribes  of  course  differed  in  character 
amongst    themselves.      Some,    like    Jantje   of  the 


AN  UNPAID  ADMINISTRATOR  211 


Kuruman  district,  had  long  lived  in  more  or  less 
close  association  with  missionaries  and  other  white 
men,  and  were  not  easily  deceived  ;  but  others  like 
Luka,  Jantje's  own  son,  were  of  a  wilder  and  more 
adventurous  spirit  ;  and  yet  others,  like  Morwe,  were 
wavering  time-servers,  ready  to  side  with  the  victor. 
A  few  successful  cattle  raids  inflamed  the  greed, 
and  the  success  of  one  or  two  early  skirmishes  with 
white  men  inflamed  the  pride  of  the  disaffected  chiefs. 

Early  in  the  year  1878,  roused  by  the  very  evident 
signs  of  a  restless  spirit  and  dark  purposes  among  the 
natives,  Mackenzie  wrote  to  Colonel  Lanyon  suggest- 
ing that  he  should  secure  the  appointment  of  a 
Commissioner  or  Commissioners  to  reside  with  the 
native  chiefs  who  were  near  the  border  of  Lanyon's 
province. 

At  the  present  juncture  it  is  of  great  importance  that  you 
should  have  such  an  agent.  Perhaps  Taungs  would  be  the 
best  place  for  him  to  reside  at,  but  he  ought  occasionally 
to  visit  the  various  chiefs  on  the  line,  and  be  able  to 
keep  you  informed  of  the  state  of  things ;  and  if  he  were 
the  right  stamp  of  man  he  would  no  doubt  succeed  in 
keeping  the  chiefs  out  of  scrapes.  I  am  afraid  that  some 
officials  have  expected  raw  natives  at  once  to  act  like 
EngHshmen ;  and  if  they  don't,  punish  them  for  it.  This 
is  a  snobbish  way  of  acting,  and  is  not  in  accordance 
with  the  true  English  mode  of  treating  natives.  The  one 
policy  reminds  one  of  the  rude  blow  of  a  big,  flat-headed 
hammer ;  the  other  is  the  quiet  action  of  the  thick,  wedge- 
end  of  a  crow-bar.  The  one  shatters  everything  to  pieces ; 
the  other  moves  and  changes  without  destroying. 

Unfortunately,  no  such  Commissioners  were  ap- 
pointed, although  one  white  man,  Mr  Samuel 
Edwards,  of  distinguished  South  African  experience, 
was  employed  to  gather  information  by  Colonel 
Lanyon, 

While  he  was  in  Kimberley  early  in  1878,  Mac- 
kenzie saw  a  troop  of  volunteer  soldiers  leave  to  serve 


212  JOHN  MACKENZIE 


under  Colonel  Lanyon  against  certain  marauders — 
Kaal  Kaffirs  and  Griquas — in  the  Province  of  Griqua- 
land  West.    This  troop  was  surprised  by  the  enemy 
and  defeated  with  considerable  loss.    That  was  enough 
to  set  the  veldt  on  fire.    Rumours  of  what  was  in  the 
native  mind  had  of  course  reached  the  ears  of  various 
missionaries  ;  but  none  of  them  believed  that  after  all 
these  years  of  peaceful  life  and  careful  instruction  the 
natives  of  South  Bechuanaland  would  attempt  to  meet 
the  might  of  the  Briton.    They  even  discounted  the 
effect  of  that  little  victory  of  the  Griquas.  Mackenzie's 
confidence  was  shaken  when  one  or  two  leading  men 
came  to  him  at  Kuruman,  and  in  a  confidential,  dark- 
faced  whisper,  said,  "  Monare,  we  do  not  want  you  to 
be  afraid.    No  harm  will  come  to  you  or  to  your  family." 
This  assurance  of  his  own  safety  seemed  to  convince 
him  that  the  danger  was  greater  than  he  had  suspected. 
Then,  like  a  thunder-clap,  fell  the  news  upon  Kuruman 
that  about  sixty  miles  south-west,  at  a  place  called 
Daniel's  Kuil,  a  well-known  and  highly  respected  man 
named  Burness  and  his  family  had  been  murdered  and 
his  farm  looted.    A  white  woman,  whose  husband  was 
away  from  home  on  a  journey,  had  fled  with  her  six 
little  children  into  the  bush,  and  nothing  was  known 
of  their  fate.    The  marauders  were,  of  course,  said  to 
be  an  army,  and  this  murder  was  described  as  the  signal 
of  a  general  war.    Kuruman  was  to  be  the  first  point 
of  attack,  and  all  the  white  men  there  and  everywhere 
else  in  South  Bechuanaland  were  to  be  destroyed.  The 
neighbouring  mission  station  at  Motito  had  to  be 
abandoned   by  the  resident  missionary.  Rev.  A.  J. 
Wookey,  who  left  with  his  family  for  Kuruman.  When 
on  May  29th,  1878,  they  reached  the  latter  place, 
they  found  the  European  population  in  a  state  of  great 
alarm.     The  deserted  mission  station  at  Motito  was 
destroyed,  and  Kuruman  was  cut  off  from  communica- 
tion with  the  outer  world. 


AN  UNPAID  ADMINISTRATOR 


213 


The  European  traders  were  naturally  much  per- 
turbed, for  it  seemed  as  if  they  would  soon  be  over- 
whelmed and  destroyed.  They  urged  Mackenzie  to 
send  a  formal  request  to  the  British  Government  for 
help,  but  this  he  declined  to  do.  He  held  the  doctrine 
that  the  missionary  who  goes  into  a  heathen  land  goes 
at  the  risk  of  his  life,  and  has  no  right  to  call  upon 
the  home  government  for  help  when  his  life  seems  in 
danger.  And  this  is  surely  the  doctrine  most  generally 
held  by  British  missionaries  and  statesmen.  Whatever 
other  governments  may  have  done,  it  has  not  been  the 
practice  of  the  British  Government  to  treat  the  murder 
of  missionaries  by  heathen  peoples  as  calling  for  the 
interference  of  the  sovereign  ;  and  yet,  wherever  it  is 
possible,  that  Government  would  of  course  be  glad  to 
deliver  any  of  its  subjects  from  such  a  danger  as  that 
which  threatened  the  white  people  of  Kuruman. 
Although  Mackenzie  declined  to  send  the  petition 
for  help,  he  did  not  prevent  others  from  acting  on 
their  own  convictions  in  the  matter  ;  and  such  a 
request  was  sent,  although  without  his  knowledge. 

In  the  meantime  it  was  decided  that  all  the 
Europeans  should  take  refuge  within  the  institution 
buildings.  It  is  a  strange  fact  that  when  the  natives 
several  years  before  saw  these,  as  it  appeared  to  them, 
large  and  strong  buildings  being  put  up,  they  asked 
one  another  what  they  could  mean  ;  and  the  answer 
seemed  obvious,  that  these  were  not  houses  but  strong- 
holds, and  that  the  white  people  were  now  taking 
possession  of  their  land  for  ever.  This  idea  had,  of 
course,  been  carefully  destroyed  by  the  explanations 
which  Mackenzie  gave  to  them  concerning  the  real 
purpose  of  the  buildings,  and  their  minds  had  become 
accustomed  to  his  explanation  ;  but  many  of  them, 
especially  the  dark-minded  and  heathen  amongst 
them,  recurred  to  their  former  belief  when  they  saw 
that  as  soon  as  the  buildings  approached  completion 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


they  became  useful  for  the  very  purpose  which  they 
had  at  first  ascribed  to  them.  There  were  no  fewer 
than  twenty-six  European  men  now  living  in  the 
institution  buildings,  besides  women  and  children ; 
every  room  in  the  Mackenzies'  house  was  occupied. 

When  Morwe,  the  local  chief,  arrived  with  a  band 
of  soldiers  and  pitched  his  camp  within  sight  of  the 
institution,  upon  the  old  mission  station  of  the  Mofifats, 
it  looked  as  if  there  was  no  escape  from  an  actual  battle. 
Mackenzie,  nevertheless,  did  not  fear  an  attack  at  any 
time.  The  buildings  were  too  solid  and  strong  to  be 
carried  by  storm  by  any  number  of  natives  so  long  as  they 
did  not  possess  big  guns.  And  moreover  he  felt  cer- 
tain from  his  intimate  knowledge  of  these  people,  that 
while  they  might  have  perpetrated  a  surprise  massacre, 
the  publicity  which  their  plottings  had  attained  was 
itself  a  most  powerful  deterrent.  The  real  feeling  of 
the  best  of  their  own  people  was  against  their  plot, 
and  against  the  infliction  of  any  injury  upon  the  mis- 
sionaries. The  chief  danger  was  that  some  desperadoes 
might  set  fire  to  the  thatched  roofs  in  the  dark  of 
night.  To  prevent  this  all  the  men,  including  the 
native  students,  who  all  remained  thoroughly  loyal, 
were  divided  into  groups  and  watched  throughout  the 
entire  night  at  every  point  of  danger. 

An  act  of  courage  was  performed  by  Mackenzie 
which  astonished  the  natives.  When  one  night  some 
horsemen  arrived  from  Kimberley,  he  saw  at  once  that 
Morwe,  whose  scouts  no  doubt  knew  their  number  and 
the  hour  of  their  arrival,  would  conclude  that  reinforce- 
ments had  been  sent  for  ;  Mackenzie  resolved  to  walk 
over  to  Morwe's  camp  and  state  the  facts.  The 
traders  and  others  were  much  alarmed  and  tried  to 
dissuade  him.  But  he  went  right  into  the  enemy's 
camp,  and  announced  that  these  men  had  come  to  see 
them  and  make  sure  of  their  safety.  He  long  after- 
wards remembered  vividly  that  on  this  adventure  he 


AN  UNPAID  ADMINISTRATOR  215 


saw  what  he  had  recognised  on  one  or  two  occasions 
at  Shoshong,  the  passionate  lust  for  blood  looking  at 
him  greedily  from  the  eyes  of  native  men. 

In  the  end  of  June,  Mackenzie  wrote  a  letter  to 
his  sister-in-law,  Miss  Douglas,  rapidly  reviewing  the 
situation  in  which  he  and  his  family  found  them- 
selves : — 

We  are  in  a  very  critical  state  here.  I  don't  mean  as  to  our- 
selves— although  there  are  those  who  think  that  too.  But  the 
people  have  gone  absolutely  mad  on  the  subject  of  war  and 
of  cattle-lifting.  They  are  getting  payment  in  kind.  A  large 
English  force  is  in  Griqualand,  and  has  completely  scattered 
the  rebels  there:  and  we  hear  that  200  men  (Volunteers) 
are  on  their  way  from  the  Fields  to  this  place.  Their  object 
is  to  secure  the  murderers  of  the  Burnesses,  and  to  get  back 
cattle  stolen,  or  an  equivalent  for  them.  We  are  afraid  they 
may  come  to  blows.  The  natives  blustered  greatly — while 
the  English  were  far  away.  But  they  are  now  changing 
their  tone,  and  no  doubt  by  and  by  will  be  very  humble. 
I  have  done  my  very  best  for  old  Jantye  the  chief,  or  one  of 
the  chiefs  of  the  district.  But  it  has  been  of  no  use,  except 
that  the  old  man  has  turned  round  upon  me,  and  denied 
having  written  a  certain  letter  to  the  English  Government,  in 
which  he  promised  to  do  his  best  to  recover  stolen  property, 
and  to  secure  the  perpetrators  of  the  dreadful  murder  at 
Daniel's  Kuil,  some  fifty  miles  from  here.  They  are  all 
here  in  his  country,  and  no  one  lays  hold  of  them. 

You  know,  dear  Bessie,  I  would  be  the  last  to  spread  any- 
thing like  an  alarming  report ;  but  there  is  no  doubt  that 
there  was  a  general  movement  in  the  native  mind  in  Griqua- 
land West  and  in  the  surrounding  districts  to  rise  upon  the 
white  men  and  to  massacre  them.  You  need  have  no  fear ; 
the  thing  has  come  to  light.  But  the  traders  are  especially 
uneasy  about  it  :  and  there  are  some  twenty-six  Europeans 
(men)  now  in  the  Institution  :  many  of  them  having  wives 
and  children  also. 

I  hope  Col  Lanyon  will  turn  up  while  the  Volunteers  are 
here,  so  that  some  permanent  settlement  may  be  come  to. 
I  could  not  have  supposed  that  the  Bechuanas  could  have 
been  such  fools  as  they  have  proved  themselves  in  this  matter. 
It  is  also  particularly  distressing  to  hear  that  more  than 


2l6 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


one  of  the  murderers  of  the  Burnesses  is  a  baptised  person 
and  member  of  this  Kuruman  church.  May  good  govern- 
ment be  estabhshed  in  our  midst  and  that  speedily  ! 

The  students  turn  out  very  well  in  this  trying  time.  The 
two  eldest,  who  belong  to  this  district,  have  particularly 
exerted  themselves  to  assist  Jantye  to  do  what  is  right.  But 
the  old  man  has  bad  sons ;  so  he  promised  to  do  the  right 
thing,  but  alas  !  has  not  performed  it. 

We  still  mount  guard  every  night ;  the  students  have  one 
of  the  stations  to  guard.  We  are  afraid  of  fire,  as  the 
Institution  has  a  thatched  roof — that  is,  every  part  except 
the  student's  cottages,  which  are  roofed  with  corrugated  iron. 

Had  we  been  alone  here,  we  should  have  gone  on  in  our 
usual  way,  but  as  there  were  a  good  many  other  missionaries 
and  others  who  considered  themselves  in  danger  (and  perhaps 
rightly),  we  could  do  nothing  else  than  receive  them  here. 
Ours  is  a  place  of  refuge.  We  are  non-combatants,  of  course. 
But  we  have  quietly  made  every  preparation  against  attack, 
but  do  not  expect  any  will  be  made. 

In  another  letter  written  a  little  later  to  his  friend, 
the  Rev.  James  Ross,  he  again  comments  upon  the 
situation  in  the  following  manner  : — 

I  have  been  waiting  with  much  anxiety  just  now  to  know 
what  settlement  Sir  Bartle  Frere  and  the  English  Government 
will  make  in  Bechuanaland  after  the  fighting  is  over. 

Here,  as  in  other  parts  of  the  world,  a  few  restless  spirits  in 
"  high  life  "  can  throw  a  whole  country  into  war  and  confusion. 
The  body  of  the  Bechuana  people  did  not,  and  do  not,  want 
to  fight  with  the  English.  But  others  did ;  and  by  and  by 
the  foolish  hope  was  more  and  more  begotten  generally  in 
the  peoples'  minds,  that  the  English  were  being  conquered 
in  some  places,  and  could  be  conquered  everywhere.  They 
would  not  listen  to  me  here.  Old  Jantye  did,  but  his  son 
Luka,  the  real  ruler,  laughed  at  my  advice.  Our  country  is 
now  in  the  hands  of  the  English.  We  have  an  English 
garrison  here.  The  reign  of  feudalism  is  over.  The  question 
is — What  position  are  the  body  of  the  people,  small  farmers, 
stock-grazers,  etc.,  to  occupy  ?  I  have  written  a  memorandum 
propounding  a  bold  and  new  plan  (in  this  country)  viz.,  to 
give  the  farming  population  back  their  farms  as  tenants 
under  the  Queen.    This  is  in  preference  to  the  "  location  " 


AN  UNPAID  ADMINISTRATOR  217 


plan  which  keeps  the  natives  together  in  a  pseudo-feudal 
manner,  professedly  under  the  Queen,  but  really,  as  the  last 
war  has  shown,  under  their  own  chiefs. 

I  always  was  somewhat  sanguine.  It  would  be  a  great 
pleasure  to  me,  as  I  have  no  doubt  it  would  be  to  you  as  an 
onlooker,  to  have  something  to  do  with  the  great  work  of 
showing  practically  how  the  coalition  between  the  two  races 
of  Europeans  and  Africans  can  take  place,  with  profit  to 
both  sides,  and  with  the  minimum  of  friction  and  heart- 
burning. 

To  treat  an  African  other  than  as  a  nigger,  destined  to  be 
shot  down  by  the  white  man,  is  odious  to  some.  A  wounded 
commandant  lying  in  my  study,  as  a  hospital,  is  of  this 
opinion.  "  Make  a  boundary  line,  and  drive  them  over  it, 
and  keep  them  over  it,  and  don't  care  or  heed  what  they  do 
over  that  line,  and  among  one  another ! "  That  is  the  old 
Colonial  policy,  which  caused,  with  other  factors,  some 
half-a-dozen  Kaffir  wars.  A  step  higher  and  better  is  the 
location  one,  the  present  policy  of  the  Cape,  but  one  con- 
cerning which  there  is  considerable  uneasiness  and  distrust 
among  those  who  administer  the  Government.  To  conquer 
a  country  in  Europe  does  not  mean  to  drive  out  the  body 
of  the  people  out  of  the  land ;  would  not  mean  even  to 
degrade  the  farmer  class,  to  make  practically  serfs  of  them. 
But  this  is  what  it  would  mean  here,  if  they  don't  change 
their  policy. 

Mind,  I  hope  they  will.  We  could  not  have  a  better  man 
than  Sir  Bartle  Frere,  and  Col.  Lanyon  is  also  a  fair-minded 
man.    We  shall  see. 

There  is  still  fighting  to  be  done.  And  there  will  come 
what  I  consider  the  real  tug  of  war,  to  devise  a  wise  policy, 
get  the  right  men  to  carry  it  out,  and  get  the  people  to 
trust  that  you  are  sincere  in  what  you  are  doing.  Post 
time. — Our  love  to  you  all,  John  Mackenzie. 

Write  soon.    Don't  be  beat  by  a  missionary. 

When  the  Europeans  at  Kuruman  took  refuge  in 
the  institution-buildings  in  their  alarm,  they  hardly 
realised  the  extent  to  which  other  people  far  from 
them  became  alarmed  on  their  behalf.  At  Kimberley 
the  excitement  grew  intense  as  rumours  came  flying 
across  the  country  announcing  that  the  missionary 


2l8 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


and  traders'  families  at  Kuruman  were  cut  off ;  and 
later,  that  they  had  been  attacked  ;  and  later  still, 
that  they  were  all  murdered  "  except  Mackenzie,  and 
Mackenzie  had  fled."  The  coolest  and  wisest  men 
of  course  distrusted  these  rumours,  but  the  situation 
was  serious  enough  to  call,  as  it  seemed,  for  energetic 
action.  Mr  Ford  was  accepted  by  Col.  Lanyon  as 
the  organiser  and  leader  of  a  band  of  volunteers,  who 
rode  quickly  across  the  country  to  Kuruman.  They 
had  a  sharp  battle  with  the  natives  at  Ko,  before  they 
reached  their  destination,  in  which  some  of  the  white 
men  were  killed,  and  Commandant  Ford  and  his  son, 
along  with  others,  were  severely  wounded.  The 
wounded  men  were  taken  to  the  institution-buildings 
at  Kuruman,  and  henceforth  for  months  the  home  of 
the  Mackenzies  and  other  rooms  of  the  institution 
were  occupied  by  wounded  soldiers,  who  were  brought 
thither  from  one  fight  after  another.  Poor  Ford  and 
his  son  lay  together  in  Mackenzie's  stiidy,  and  there 
the  young  man  died.  At  a  later  date,  one  of  the 
wounded  bore  the  well-known  name  of  Arnold,  being 
a  grandson  of  Dr  Arnold  of  Rugby,  and  brother  of 
Mrs  Humphry  Ward.  He  died  of  his  wound,  and 
was  laid  to  rest  in  the  little  mission  cemetery. 

The  victory  at  Ko  still  further  roused  the  hopes  of 
the  wilder  natives,  and  great  confusion  resulted.  Many 
of  the  rebels  in  Griqualand  West,  consisting  of  Kaal 
Kaffirs  and  Griquas,  had  already  fled  northwards  and 
westwards  through  the  Kuruman  district,  driving  large 
numbers  of  cattle  which  they  had  stolen  from  British 
subjects  ;  among  their  number  were  the  murderers  of 
the  Burnesses.  They  found  a  ready  ally  in  Luka,  the 
bad  son  of  Jantye,  and  he  with  them  brought  pressure 
to  bear  upon  many  of  the  peace-loving  Bechuanas, 
forcing  them  into  outward  alliance  with  themselves. 
Luka  was  very  indignant  when  Mackenzie  sent  mes- 
sengers from   Kuruman  amongst  his  followers,  with 


AN  UNPAID  ADMINISTRATOR  219 


the  broad  and  open  announcement  that  they  were 
all  blundering,  and  that  it  was  his  wish  that  all  who 
had  no  personal  desire  to  fight  should  at  once  forsake 
Luka  and  return  to  their  homes.  The  result  of  this 
message  was  a  large  decrease  in  the  followers  of  Luka. 
But  the  victory  at  Ko  had  produced  another  and 
opposite  effect,  for  it  brought  Colonel  Lanyon  and 
Colonel  Warren  immediately  upon  the  field.  With- 
out hesitation  they  now  passed  across  the  border 
into  South  Bechuanaland  with  a  sufficient  force  to 
carry  all  before  them.  They  came  avowedly  upon 
a  punitive  expedition,  and  one  which,  according  to 
native  law  and  custom,  they  had  every  right  in  the 
circumstances  to  make.  Their  immediate  purpose 
of  course  was  to  deal  with  the  Griqualand  rebels  and 
the  murderers  of  the  Burnesses  ;  but  as  we  shall  see, 
when  they  found  themselves  actually  in  Bechuanaland, 
the  extent  of  their  operations  spread  from  town  to  town 
as  the  Griquas  fled  before  them  ;  and  their  own  task 
was  changed  insensibly,  and  even  beyond  their  pur- 
pose, from  that  of  a  punitive  expedition,  to  that  of 
a  peace-making  and  re-organising  administration.  As 
Colonel  Warren  in  the  ensuing  months  pursued  the 
Griquas  and  other  rebels  from  place  to  place,  he 
found  that  the  spirit  of  war  had  laid  hold  of  con- 
siderable numbers  of  the  Bechuana  people.  Several 
sharp  engagements  took  place.  It  was  the  object 
of  Colonel  Warren  to  be  at  once  severe  and  kindly  ; 
severe  towards  the  real  objects  of  his  pursuit,  and 
kindly  towards  all  who  submitted  and  brought  their 
pleas  before  him.  It  is  safe  to  say  that  few  soldiers 
have  ever  succeeded  so  well  as  he  did  in  carrying  out 
this  double  policy.  Mackenzie  appreciated  his  work 
in  the  very  warmest  manner,  and  he  was  able  to 
point  to  it  ever  after  as  having  produced  upon  the 
native  mind  a  profound  sense  of  the  fairness  of  the 
Queen's  representatives,  who  desired  only  to  punish 


220 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


wrong-doing,  and  not  to  rob  anyone  of  life  or  pro- 
perty. The  work  of  Colonel  Warren  went  far  to 
confirm  Mackenzie's  faith  in  the  effect  of  a  direct 
Imperial  control  of  native  territories.  It  was  found 
necessary  to  leave  small  bodies  of  border  police  at 
various  points,  while  the  chief  force  was  placed  at 
Batlaros,  about  ten  miles  from  Kuruman,  under 
Major  Stanley  Lowe.  This  officer  remained  in  the 
country  for  about  three  years,  and  he  too  gained  the 
warm  approval  and  goodwill  of  all  who  watched  his 
methods  of  dealing,  alike  with  the  natives  on  one 
hand,  and  with  the  invading  European  farm-seekers 
on  the  other. 

From  the  first  entrance  of  the  British  officers  and 
their  men  into  Bechuanaland,  the  labours  of  Mackenzie 
were  enormously  increased.  He  carried  on,  with  very 
little  interruption,  after  November  1878,  his  full  work 
as  tutor  of  the  institution  and  pastor  of  the  Kuruman 
church  and  district.  But  in  addition  he  was  now  forced 
to  undertake  work  of  a  political  nature.  It  was  inevit- 
able. To  him  the  white  men  and  the  natives  alike 
looked  for  information  and  advice.  He  received,  some- 
times daily,  letters  from  Major  Lowe  and  Colonel 
Warren,  advising  him  of  their  movements,  informing 
him  concerning  the  natives  with  whom  they  dealt, 
asking  him  to  take  various  steps  which  seemed  neces- 
sary in  order  to  pacify  hostile  leaders,  and  to  win 
over  wavering  chiefs,  and  to  investigate  the  evidence 
for  complaints  which  were  brought  before  them  for 
adjustment.  To  him  also  the  native  chiefs  came,  or 
sent  messengers,  stating  their  troubles,  defending  them- 
selves from  crimes  of  which  they  were  accused,  or 
seeking  some  way  of  repentance. 

This  work  received  official  recognition  in  the  follow- 
ing manner.  On  August  ist,  1878,  he  addressed  a  letter 
to  Colonel  Lanyon,  as  Administrator  of  the  Province 
of  Griqualand  West,  and  the  invader  of  Bechuanaland, 


AN  UNPAID  ADMINISTRATOR  221 


frankly  placing  the  circumstances  of  the  country  before 
him.  It  seemed  to  him  that  since  the  power  of  the 
chiefs  was  broken,  and  British  officers  were  now,  even 
against  their  wills,  de  facto  rulers  of  the  country,  it 
was  their  duty  to  plan  for  the  future.  How  were  the 
natives  to  be  treated  under  these  altered  circumstances  ? 
The  two  plans  previously  employed  by  Europeans  in 
South  Africa  were  described  as  follows  : — The  first  says, 
"  Having  conquered  the  natives,  deprive  them  of  their 
country,  and  let  them  go  elsewhere,  or  hire  themselves 
out  as  labourers.  This  is  the  old  plan,  and  it  always  led 
to  war."  The  second  plan,  which  had  been  adopted  in 
recent  years  by  the  English  Government,  consists  in 
assigning  to  every  native  tribe  its  own  location,  where, 
under  the  general  protection  of  the  English,  they  live 
practically  very  much  as  they  did  before.  This  plan,  so 
largely  employed  in  Natal  and  in  some  parts  of  the 
Transvaal,  has  its  own  peculiar  and  real  dangers  ;  for,  in 
the  first  place, it  perpetuates  the  tribal  or  clannish  manner 
of  life,  and,  inasmuch  as  the  population  increases  more 
rapidly  under  this  system,  and  no  effort  is  made  to 
advance  them  in  education  and  civilisation,  a  dark  and 
dangerous  heathenism  is  perpetuated  in  the  very  midst 
of  a  European  country. 

Mackenzie  urged  that  a  new  plan  was  evidently 
necessary  ;  one  which,  on  the  one  hand,  would  avoid 
permanent  continuance  of  the  tribe,  and  bring  the 
people  directly  under  British  control,  and,  on  the  other 
hand,  would  not  degrade  a  people  who  already  were 
mounting  visibly  and  steadily  towards  civilisation. 
He  could  point  to  the  fact  that  already  among  the 
Bechuanas  there  were  to  be  found  a  large  number  of 
men  who  constituted  a  farming  class.  These  men  led 
out  water  from  their  fountains,  and  annually  raised  a 
little  wheat  as  well  as  Kaffir  corn  and  "  mealies." 
This  work  of  irrigation  meant,  in  some  cases,  much 
hard  work.    "  Surely,"  he  urged,  "  these  men  have  a 


222 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


right  to  go  on  as  farmers.  Why  should  they  be 
degraded  as  a  class  ?  They  hold  their  fountains 
under  some  kind  of  tenure  from  their  chiefs  ;  let 
them  continue  to  farm  under  such  tenure  as  might  be 
arranged."  His  proposal  was,  that  to  all  natives  who 
could  show  that  they  had  actually  tilled  the  soil, 
leases  should  be  granted  for  a  period  of  say  ten  years, 
during  which  they  would  pay  rental,  and  at  the  end  of 
which  their  standing  could  be  carefully  revised.  An 
essential  feature  of  the  scheme  was  that  not  more  than 
say  six  or  eight  huts  should  be  built  on  one  farm.  This 
would  effectually  prevent  an  ambitious  chief  from 
attempting  to  collect  a  large  number  of  poorer  or 
weaker  people  around  him  as  his  vassals  or  slaves.  It 
would  thus  break  down  the  tribal  system,  without 
injustice  or  hardship.  There  was  another  essential 
feature  of  the  scheme,  that  the  leases  should  be  un- 
saleable, which  would  protect  the  tenant-farmer  class 
of  natives  from  being  imposed  upon  and  robbed  by 
clever  and  unscrupulous  land-jobbers  and  land-agents. 
Practically  Mackenzie  said.  Treat  these  people  as 
children  who  need  paternal  care  ;  watch  over  them 
until  they  are  further  educated  and  able,  in  ten  or 
twenty  years,  to  manage  their  own  affairs  without  the 
immediate  tutelage  of  a  white  officer.  At  the  same 
time  he  made  it  clear,  now  and  later,  with  great 
frequency  and  carefulness,  that  he  was  no  indis- 
criminate lover  of  the  blacks,  that  he  did  not  seek  to 
pet  them  or  treat  them  with  undue  consideration,  as 
he  was  afterwards  so  often  accused  of  doing.  He 
insisted,  on  the  contrary,  that  every  native  who  proved 
himself  unworthy  of  his  lease  should  be  ejected.  "  Let 
him  sink  to  his  own  level  among  the  inferior  labouring 
class."  What  this  missionary  stood  for  and  demanded 
was  simply  justice,  bare  justice  to  a  class  whom  he 
and  many  others  had  laboured  for  many  years  to 
uplift,  and  who  were  being  visibly  and  confessedly 


AN  UNPAID  ADMINISTRATOR  223 


raised  to  a  higher  rank  in  Hfe.  As  he  pointed  out  in 
a  later  communication,  the  reports  upon  the  state  of 
Bechuanaland,  made  by  unbiassed  and  careful  English 
officers,  showed  that  many  of  the  natives  were  now 
living,  "  practically  much  after  the  mode  of  the  Dutch 
Boers."  There  can  be  no  doubt  that  many  of  these 
natives  were  beginning  to  read  and  to  write,  to  plough 
the  land,  and  to  prepare  their  cattle  for  the  market, 
which  means  that  they  were  as  civilised  as  many  of 
those  ignorant  Boers  and  other  Europeans  who  rushed 
in  upon  their  lands  and  drove  them  from  possession 
of  their  farms.  And  they  were  very  often  better  men. 
The  only  conceivable  reason  that  could  be  given  in 
justification  of  this  process  of  civilising  South  Africa 
by  robbing  the  natives  of  their  farms,  was  that  the 
one  set  of  men  were  white  and  the  others  black. 
Mackenzie  claimed  that  this  reason  ought  henceforth 
to  be  condemned  by  the  British  Government,  and  its 
operation  made  impossible  by  a  new  departure  in 
policy.  And  yet  he  only  claimed  justice,  bare  justice, 
for  men  who  occupied  or  owned  farm  lands,  diligently 
tilling  the  soil  and  disposing  of  the  produce  in  a 
civilised  manner. 

Colonel  Lanyon,  while  he  was  in  Kuruman,  held 
many  long  and  earnest  conversations  with  Mackenzie 
about  these  matters.  He,  of  course,  urged  against  the 
assumption  of  the  government  of  South  Bechuanaland, 
that  the  British  people  disliked  any  more  annexation, 
and  that  many  of  them  were  sensitive  about  interfering 
with  the  inherited  rights  of  the  native  chiefs  and  tribes. 
To  this  the  convincing  answer  was  given  in  a  twofold 
manner.  Bechuanaland  was  not  and  never  would  be 
fully  occupied  by  the  natives  themselves  ;  there  was 
abundant  room  for  both  Europeans  and  natives  ;  but, 
on  the  other  hand,  "  the  word  annexation  is  misleading. 
The  real  movement  is  that  which  is  happening  before 
our  eyes,  in  the  country,  in  the  spread  of  the  whites. 


224 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


That  is  the  annexation  ! "  What  therefore  he  con- 
tended for  was  simply  the  formal  and  authoritative 
regulation  of  an  annexation  which  neither  native 
chiefs  nor  European  governments  could  put  a  stop 
to,  which  was  "  happening  before  our  eyes."  No  way 
could  be  found  which  would  more  certainly  dispossess 
the  natives  of  their  land  than  for  England  to  refuse  to 
occupy  the  country.  No  way  could  be  found  more 
certainly  to  conserve  the  rights  of  the  natives  and  to 
uplift  them  than  by  sending  British  officers  and  magis- 
trates to  see  that  bare  justice  was  done  between  the 
white  man  and  black. 

The  result  of  these  communications  and  conversa- 
tions was  that  in  September  1878,  Colonel  Lanyon 
asked  Mackenzie  to  aid  the  Government  by  acting  as 
its  agent  in  Bechuanaland.  The  following  was  his 
reply  : — 

With  reference  to  your  proposal  or  inquiry  as  to  my 
assisting  the  Government  in  the  settlement  of  the  country, 
I  have  given  the  matter  my  best  consideration  ;  and  the 
following  are  some  of  my  thoughts  on  the  subject. 

If  there  is  one  name  more  hateful  than  another  to  a  native 
of  this  part  of  the  country,  it  is  that  of  agent,  "  ah-gent  "  as 
they  call  it.  For  a  missionary  to  leave  his  work  and  become 
an  "  agent,"  would  be  to  descend  to  another  level  in  native 
eyes  ;  he  might  be  better  or  worse  than  other  agents,  he 
would  not  be  regarded  by  them  any  longer  as  their  fast  and 
trusted  friend. 

But,  if  I  understand  you  aright,  you  do  not  propose  that  I 
should  appear  to  the  people  in  any  other  capacity  than  their 
missionary  and  trusted  adviser.  If  this  is  so,  I  am  willing  to 
place  whatever  influence,  etc.,  I  may  have,  at  the  service  of 
the  Government.  Indeed  the  work  which  you  sketch  —  of 
carrying  through  a  plan  by  which  the  Bechuanas  can  become 
accustomed  to  British  rule  and,  at  the  same  time,  go  on 
making  progress  in  agriculture,  etc. — is,  perhaps,  at  present, 
the  most  urgent  undertaking  connected  with  the  welfare  of 
the  natives.  Once  done  well  in  one  district,  this  work  could 
be  copied  elsewhere  with  local  modifications.  Tribes  in  the 
interior  would  scrutinize  it,  and  I  hope,  see  its  advantages. 


AN  UNPAID  ADMINISTRATOR  225 


Now,  speaking  frankly,  I  should  be  glad  and  thankful  to  be 
connected  with  such  a  work  ;  and  feel  that  thus  I  should  be 
doing  a  permanent  service  to  both  Europeans  and  Bechuanas. 
You  see  that  I  have  full  confidence  in  the  sincerity  and  the 
good  intentions  of  the  Government,  that  it  is  their  wish  that 
the  Bechuanas  should  take  root  in  the  country  and  occupy  it. 

Were  it  possible  that  this  could  be  changed  and  that 
retrogressive  measures  should  be  adopted,  with  the  view  of 
driving  the  natives  out  of  the  country,  the  Government  could, 
of  course,  expect  no  assistance  from  me  in  carrying  out  such 
a  policy. 

If  then  Sir  Bartle  Frere  as  representing  the  Imperial 
Government,  joins  in  your  view  that  while  discharging  my 
work  as  Tutor  in  the  Moffat  Institution,  etc.,  I  could  be 
of  use  to  the  Government  in  the  present  peculiar  state  of 
affairs  in  Bechuanaland,  I  am  willing  to  meet  these  views  and 
do  my  best  in  the  service  of  the  Government.  The  fact 
that  the  best  and  most  influential  young  men  among  the 
Bechuanas  are  under  my  care  as  Tutor  and  that  native 
ministers  who  have  been  in  the  Institution,  are  anxious  to 
keep  up  intercourse  with  their  old  teacher,  are  all  means 
which  might  be  used  for  the  good  of  the  people. 

(You  will  remember  that  Matsau,  our  minister  at  Man- 
koroane's,  of  his  own  accord  rode  through  on  horseback,  to 
be  with  us  in  our  difficulties  when  shut  up  here, — as  soon  as 
he  arrived,  quietly  taking  his  turn  as  sentry,  etc.,  as  if  he 
were  still  a  student.) 

Stipulating  that  I  must  not  be  called  an  "  agent "  (ah-gent) 
— that  the  duties  expected  of  me  will  be  such  as  could  be 
performed  along  with  those  I  am  now  discharging,  and  that 
the  work  to  be  done  will  be  such  as  is  sketched  in  your 
letter ;  generally  to  induce  the  Bechuanas  to  settle  in  Bechu- 
analand, under  the  Queen,  in  some  such  way  as  in  the  scheme 
I  had  the  honour  to  forward  to  your  Excellency  some  time 
ago — I  am  willing  to  accede  to  your  proposal,  if  it  is  deemed 
advisable,  and  to  give  the  Imperial  Government  my  hearty 
and  earnest  service. 

I  thank  you  for  the  compliment  involved  in  the  proposal ; 
and  pray  that  if  the  work  is  given  me  to  do  you  may  have  no 
cause  to  regret  that  you  made  it. 

From  this  time  forward,  for  about  eighteen  months 
semi-ofificially,  and  down  to   April    1882,  actually, 

p 


226  JOHN  MACKENZIE 


Mackenzie  carried  on  the  work  thus  undertaken  at  the 
instance  of  the  Administrator  of  Griqualand  West. 
As  he  afterwards  explained  to  the  Directors  of  the 
Society,  he  never  allowed  this  to  interfere  with  his 
distinctively  spiritual  and  educational  responsibilities  ; 
although  he  felt  in  his  heart  of  hearts  that  it  was 
work  which  some  one  must  undertake,  if  the  conditions 
were  to  be  preserved  under  which  the  mission  work  in 
Bechuanaland  could  be  most  successfully  carried  on. 
Moreover,  he  found  that  far  from  interfering  with  his 
influence  as  a  missionary,  the  kind  of  work  which  he 
did  enormously  increased  it ;  for  the  natives  now  saw 
in  him  a  man,  who  not  only  preached  the  Gospel  and 
not  only  advised  faith  in  the  English  Government,  but 
who  himself  acted  effectively  and  authoritatively  as 
their  friend.  Wherever  he  saw  wrong-doing,  in  white 
or  black,  he  rebuked  it ;  wherever  a  black  man  robbed 
a  white  farmer,  or  a  white  land-grabber  coerced  a 
black  farmer,  he  stood  unflinchingly  for  justice  and 
righteousness.  Such  work  could  only  raise  the  esteem 
of  the  natives  for  the  missionaries  and  for  the  religion 
which  they  professed.  It  also  carried  Mackenzie's 
name  over  the  Transvaal,  where  the  true  significance 
of  his  policy  was  well  understood,  far  better  indeed 
than  at  Government  House,  Cape  Town,  or  in  London  ; 
and  where  the  ultimate  issues  of  that  policy  were  alike 
foreseen  and  feared.  Only  let  Mackenzie  do  what  he 
was  now  doing  for  another  ten  }'ears,  and  Bechuana 
farmers  in  South  Bechuanaland  would  be  as  firmly 
established  in  their  ownership,  and  as  prosperous,  as 
most  Boer  farmers  were  then  in  the  Transvaal. 

It  should  be  added  that  for  all  the  work  which  he 
thus  performed  Mackenzie  never  asked,  and  was  never 
offered,  any  compensation  by  the  Government  which 
he  served. 


CHAPTER  IX 


KURUMAN — JOHN  MACKENZIE'S  CHOICE  (l  879- I  882) 

The  hard  work  of  1878  extended  into  1879.  ^^is 
year  the  number  of  students  was  considerably  increased, 
and  at  the  same  time  the  political  work  was  multiplied. 
Mackenzie's  devotion  to  missionary  labours  was  not 
curtailed  by  the  continual  consultations  which  went 
on  between  him  and  native  chiefs  and  farmers  on  the 
one  hand,  and  British  officers  on  the  other.  He  con- 
tinued to  discuss,  of  course,  the  political  problems  of 
the  situation  both  in  letters  and  in  conversation  with 
Colonel  Lanyon  and  Colonel  Warren.  He  also  for- 
warded to  Sir  Bartle  Frere  a  memorandum  containing 
a  certain  plan  for  the  government  of  Bechuanaland, 
which  he  had  been  gradually  working  out  in  his  own 
mind,  and  which  the  experience  of  these  months,  as 
well  as  his  complete  knowledge  of  native  laws  and  the 
native  mind,  proved  to  be  thoroughly  practical.  This 
scheme  was  described  by  him  in  many  various  forms 
at  various  times  ;  but  nowhere  with  more  clearness 
than  in  a  letter  which  he  drafted  for  the  Bechuana- 
land District  Committee  of  missionaries,  which  they 
adopted  and  sent  to  Sir  Bartle  Frere.  They  did  this  in 
answer  to  a  request  from  His  Excellency  for  suggestions 
regarding  measures  which  they  thought  calculated  to  pro- 
mote the  advancement  of  the  races  amongst  which  they 
laboured.  Before  giving  this  document,  it  may  be  well 
to  emphasise  the  point  that  the  main  source  of  trouble 
among  South  African  races  had  ever  been  the  question 
of  land  tenure.  From  the  days  when  the  first  Dutch- 
men began  to  graze  their  herds  and  dig  their  gardens 

227 


228 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


on  the  lands  around  Cape  Town,  which  Hottentots  had 
previously  used  as  their  own,  down  to  the  days  when 
Boer  commandoes  picked  quarrels  with  native  chiefs, 
then  fought  them  and  seized  their  fountains,  dispossess- 
ing them  of  their  lands,  and  making  it  illegal  henceforth 
that  one  of  their  colour  should  own  land  in  his  own 
country  ;  or  when  English  lancj-jobbers  made  natives 
drunk  and  got  them  to  sign  away  their  property  under 
the  influence  of  liquor,  or  drew  up  deeds  of  sale  in  Eng- 
lish, which  they  professed  to  translate  into  Sechuana, 
and  persuaded  the  native  to  sign,  under  the  impression 
that  they  were  deeds  of  another  kind — these  poor, 
ignorant,  and  yet  often  intelligent,  sometimes  hard- 
working and  trustworthy,  men,  had  been  steadily 
deprived  of  all  rights,  and  had  been  made  practically 
serfs  under  the  white  man's  rule.  Their  original  land 
system  was  a  simple  form  of  feudalism.  The  land 
belonged  to  the  people,  the  chief  assigned  to  each  his 
fountain  and  his  garden  ;  but  land,  according  to  native 
law,  was  inalienable,  and  all  deeds  of  sale  to  white  men 
were  therefore  in  fact  illegal,  and  all  to  whom  land  was 
assigned  must  render  military  service  to  their  chief. 
But  this  system  was  now  broken  down,  for  the  chiefs 
had  lost  their  power,  and  the  strongest  took  what  he 
desired,  and  there  was  no  law. 

The  method  which  Mackenzie  proposed  was  intended 
to  make  the  transition,  from  the  broken-down  feudal- 
ism to  the  European  method  of  private  ownership  in 
land,  entirely  safe  for  those  native  peoples.  But  let 
this  be  described  in  the  language  adopted  by  the 
missionaries  of  Bechuanaland,  and  communicated  by 
them  to  Sir  Bartle  Frere.  The  following  is  part  of 
their  document : — 

I.  Our  first  suggestion  has  reference  to  the  land.  We 
submit  that  both  Griquas  and  Bechuanas  stand  on  an 
entirely  different  platform  as  to  civilisation  from  that 
occupied  by  Kaal  Kaffirs  or  by  Zulus.    It  is  no  exaggera- 


JOHN  MACKENZIE'S  CHOICE  229 


tion  to  say,  and  your  officers  who  have  made  acquaintance 
with  the  country,  will  bear  us  out  in  the  assertion,  that 
the  population  affected  by  the  war  in  and  around  Griqua- 
land  West,  have  attained  a  respectable  position  as  to 
civilization. 

II.  In  their  dwellings,  in  their  gardens  and  corn-fields, 
in  their  possessions,  in  their  clothing  and  personal  habits, 
you  have  infallible  evidence  that  the  people  have  long  left 
the  ranks  of  heathen.  Let  the  spoils  of  Langberg,  Gamoperi, 
Takong,  etc.,  testify  whether  or  not  the  English  were  fighting 
with  people  who  had  a  right  to  be  called  civiUzed. 

III.  Many  of  the  fountains  of  South  Bechuanaland  have 
already  been  opened  up  and  led  out  by  the  people.  Indeed, 
Bechuana  society  had  reached  an  interesting  crisis  before  the 
war.  The  people,  who  w^ere  devoting  more  and  more  of  their 
time  to  farming,  were  constantly  harassed  by  their  chiefs,  who 
wished  them  to  live  together  in  the  town  in  the  old  style. 
Missionaries  advised  the  chiefs  to  yield  to  the  inevitable  and 
sanction  this  farming,  or  scattered  Hfe,  among  their  people, 
with  the  understanding  that  they  all  came  in  from  their  farms 
once  or  twice  in  a  year. 

IV.  Having  then  to  deal  with  people  in  this  condition,  we 
respectfully  submit  that  they  ought  to  meet  with  treatment 
corresponding  to  their  degree  of  advancement,  and  not  having 
reference  to  their  colour. 

V.  Those  who  have  made  themselves  acquainted  with  the 
conditions  of  these  people,  prior  to  the  advent  of  missionaries 
among  them,  and  contrast  that  with  their  position  in  1878, 
will  be  encouraged  with  reference  to  their  capability  of  improve- 
ment. Indeed,  such  a  glance  at  the  past  of  the  people  would 
encourage  a  just  mind  to  hold  out  to  them  inducements  to 
follow  the  same  peaceful  and  industrious  manner  of  life  which 
has  been  characteristic  of  many  of  the  people. 

VI.  Proceeding  upon  the  supposition  that  the  country 
comes  under  the  English  Government,  we  would  respect- 
fully suggest — 

1.  That,  except  in  special  cases,  such  as  chiefs  or 

other  men  who  have  made  themselves  obnoxious, 
natives  who  have  been  in  occupation  of  an  irri- 
gable garden  or  small  farm,  be  placed  in  similar 
circumstances  under  the  English  Government. 

2.  We  do  not  recommend  that  saleable  title-deeds  to 

farms  be  given  to  Bechuanas.    The  land  has 


230  JOHN  MACKENZIE 


hitherto  belonged  to  the  tribe  as  such,  and  has 
been  unsaleable.  We  would  propose  that  a  similar 
law  should  still  obtain  ;  that  is,  that  natives  who 
have  irrigable  gardens  or  small  farms  should 
obtain  a  lease  of  them  under  the  English 
Government  for  a  certain  number  of  years,  say 
ten ;  and  that  under  this  lease  they  pay  an 
annual  rental  to  Government  as  landlord. 
That  it  be  understood  that  there  shall  be  no 
eviction  at  the  end  of  the  lease,  if  the  tenant 
has  conducted  himself  well,  and  has  cultivated 
his  ground  in  an  industrious  manner ;  but  that  if 
the  opposite  has  been  the  case,  if  the  farm  has  been 
neglected,  or  criminal  charges  have  been  preferred 
against  the  occupant,  that  the  officer  of  Govern- 
ment appointed  to  such  questions  have  the 
power  to  refuse  a  renewal  of  the  lease,  should 
he  on  the  whole  decide  to  do  so. 

VII.  The  Committee  anticipate  that  a  plan  of  this 
description  would  effectually  obviate  the  numerous  and 
serious  difficulties  which  immediately  arise,  when  speculators 
in  land  are  allowed  free  course  to  act  upon  native  land- 
owners. In  the  latter  case  the  native  is  induced  to  sell  his 
farm — sometimes  by  presenting  a  long  bill  and  threatening 
imprisonment ;  often  while  under  the  influence  of  strong 
drink,  and  unaware  what  he  is  about. 

VIII.  Some  of  the  Bechuanas  with  whom  members  of  the 
Committee  are  acquainted  have  expended  considerable 
labour  in  leading  out  water  furrows.  In  one  case  which 
occurred  a  short  time  before  the  outbreak,  the  native  farmer 
received,  labourers  from  all  quarters  to  work  at  his  furrow. 
He  was  able  to  get  them  and  to  keep  them,  during  the  time 
when  the  Moffat  Institution  buildings  were  in  progress.  He 
paid  with  money  and  with  stock.  Such  men  would  be  seen 
to  get  on  well  under  the  English  Government.  Others  of 
equal  enterprise,  but  of  less  means,  would  no  doubt  avail 
themselves  of  government  loans  for  such  work,  as  soon  as 
they  understood  thoroughly  what  that  meant. 

IX.  It  is  of  great  consequence  that  some  such  poHcy  as 
that  here  indicated  should  be  carried  out  in  South  Bechuana- 
land,  for  other  reasons  than  those  connected  with  its  own 
inhabitants.  The  tribes  in  the  interior  are  watching  with 
the  closest  interest  the  steps  which  Government  will  take 


JOHN  MACKENZIE'S  CHOICE 


23t 


with  reference  to  land.  ...  If  the  tribes  in  the  south 
are  allowed  to  remain  in  virtual  possession  of  their  land 
under  the  British  Government,  complications  will  be  less 
likely  in  the  interior.  The  people  will  know  that  private 
property  will  be  respected ;  as  for  the  waning  of  the  power 
of  their  chiefs,  they  will  get  accustomed  to  that  also,  pro- 
vided a  good  position  is  secured  to  them  as  respectable 
subjects  of  the  Queen. 

X.  The  Committee  would  strongly  recommend  to  Your 
Excellency  that  the  canteens  be  closed,  which  have  been 
open  for  trade  among  the  natives  of  Griqualand  West.  The 
most  respectable  Griquas  petitioned  Your  Excellency  to  this 
effect  some  time  ago.  No  ruler  would  wiUingly  allow  to  be 
opened  a  canteen  among  such  a  people  as  the  Griquas  and 
Bechuanas — provided  that  his  object  was  the  highest  good 
of  the  people  themselves.  Canteens  are  unmitigated  curses 
to  all  connected  with  them,  and  in  reality  frustrate  the 
highest  work  of  a  good  government.  The  Committee  would 
anticipate  the  best  results  from  shutting  up  "  Canteens " 
throughout  the  country,  and  trust  it  may  speedily  take 
place. 

XI.  Into  the  detail  of  the  scheme  for  the  government  of 
these  people  we  do  not  enter.  It  is  evident  that  the  success 
of  this  or  any  other  scheme  would  greatly  depend  on  the 
character  of  those  to  whom  working  out  will  be  entrusted. 

It  is  one  thing  to  get  men  accustomed  to  treat  all  natives 
as  "  niggers "  or  "  black  fellows,"  with  indiscriminate  con- 
tempt and  carelessness.  It  is  quite  another  thing  to  get  a 
magistrate  who  would  be  filled  with  the  idea  that  as  a  servant 
of  the  Queen  he  would  be  bound  to  treat  all  her  subjects 
with  justice,  and  to  show  courtesy  to  all. 

Sir  Bartle  Frere,  who  had  already  been  in  com- 
munication with  Mackenzie,  was  profoundly  impressed 
with  the  wisdom  of  the  plan  now  submitted  to  him. 
On  his  return  from  the  Transvaal,  via  Kimberley,  he 
invited  his  missionary-correspondent  to  meet  him  at 
the  latter  place,  where  he  expected  also  to  confer  with 
Colonel  Warren.  There,  then,  Mackenzie,  for  the  first 
time,  met  face  to  face  one  whom  he  had  long  admired 
and  with  whom  he  formed,  from  that  date,  a  warm 
friendship.    Sir  Bartle  Frere  decided  that  the  scheme 


232 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


submitted  to  him  ought  to  be  at  once  adopted  and 
put  into  operation  ;  but  he  saw  that  it  would  require 
to  be  begun  by  one  who  understood  the  entire  situa- 
tion, and  in  whom  the  natives  would  have  deep 
confidence.  He  accordingly  proposed  that  Mackenzie 
himself  should  accept  the  position  of  Commissioner 
for  South  Bechuanaland,  at  a  salary  of  i^iooo  per 
annum,  that  he  should  have  under  him  a  number  of 
magistrates,  and  be  supported  by  a  body  of  mounted 
police,  probably  to  number  about  200.  If  Mackenzie 
agreed  to  undertake  this  v/ork,  a  proclamation  was  at 
once  to  be  drawn  up,  and,  with  the  consent  of  Her 
Majesty,  was  to  be  issued,  announcing  that  the  region 
concerned  would  henceforth  be  treated  as  a  "  Territory  " 
under  the  British  crown.  To  the  proposals  thus  made 
to  him  the  man  who  twenty  years  before  had  been 
ordained  to  the  life  of  a  missionary  had  only  one 
answer  to  give,  and  it  was  given  firmly  and  decisively. 
He  could  not  give  up  his  life-work,  even  to  undertake 
a  position  of  such  importance  as  this. 

So  anxious  was  the  High  Commissioner  to  secure 
the  services  of  Mackenzie,  that  another  plan  was  pro- 
posed which  seemed  to  the  latter  both  feasible  and 
consonant  with  his  life-purpose.  According  to  this 
plan,  Mackenzie  was  to  be  appointed  as  native  com- 
missioner, with  the  same  salary  as  before,  and  with  a 
group  of  magistrates  under  him,  it  being  understood 
that  he  was  to  continue  as  missionary  and  Tutor  at 
Kuruman,  giving  only  part  of  his  time  to  the  service 
of  the  Government.  It  was  further  understood  that 
his  civil  appointment  would  only  continue  for  two  or 
three  years,  until  the  whole  of  the  region  affected  had 
been  brought  under  the  new  system  of  law,  and  British 
officers  had  become  accustomed  to  its  working  and 
had  gained  the  confidence  of  native  chiefs  and  their 
peoples.  Mackenzie  agreed  to  this  proposal,  with  the 
understanding  that  it  must  be  submitted  for  ratifica- 


JOHN  MACKENZIE'S  CHOICE  233 


tion  to  the  Directors  of  his  Society  in  London,  so  far  as 
his  part  was  concerned,  as  well  as  to  the  Colonial  Office, 
so  far  as  the  Imperial  aspect  was  concerned.  So  anxious 
was  Sir  Bartle  Frere  to  see  this  plan  adopted  that  he 
wrote  a  letter  to  the  Directors,  earnestly  requesting 
them  to  allow  their  missionary  to  do  this  special  work 
for  the  sake  of  the  country  in  which  their  missions 
were  placed.  Mackenzie,  on  June  3rd,  1879,  wrote  to 
the  Directors,  describing  the  whole  situation  and  the 
proposal  which  Sir  Bartle  Frere  had  made  : — 

As  a  loyal  agent  of  the  L.  M.  S.  I  do  not  wish  to  embark 
in  anything,  even  for  the  direct  benefit  and  elevation  of  the 
people,  without  laying  the  matter  before  the  Directors. 
What  I  do,  brethren,  for  the  pacification  and  settlement  of 
the  natives  in  the  country,  I  would  do  in  the  same  spirit  in 
which  I  would  doctor  their  bodies,  or  perform  for  them  any 
of  those  numerous  kindnesses  which  it  is  in  the  power  of  a 
missionary  to  do.  It  is  my  opinion  that,  as  a  missionary^  I 
could  do  the  work  from  a  vantage-ground — a  work  which  is 
evidently  for  the  general  benefit.  It  will  probably  be  accom- 
plished in,  say,  two  years,  when  it  is  to  be  hoped  there  will 
be  a  population  here  thankful,  not  only  for  the  spiritual 
instruction  they  have  received  from  the  L.  M.  S.,  but  also 
for  the  scheme  of  settlement  devised  and  executed  for  their 
benefit  by  one  of  your  agents.  I  am  aware  that  by  acting 
as  I  propose  to  do  I  am  stretching  the  letter  of  some  of  our 
rules  ;  but  I  think  the  position  in  which  I  am  placed  is  quite 
an  exception,  and  I  trust  the  broad-minded  Board  of 
Directors  of  the  London  Missionary  Society  will  sanction  the 
present  endeavour  to  elevate  and  establish  a  people  who  have 
already  received  from  them  so  many  blessings.  Of  course,  I  am 
aware  that  in  undertaking  these  duties  I  entail  upon  myself  a 
great  amount  of  hard  work  ;  and  it  is  possible  that  health, 
or  ability,  or  something,  may  give  way.  In  the  meantime  I 
am  not  at  all  afraid  ;  but  hope  that  at  this  crisis  in  the 
people's  history,  with  God's  good  hand  upon  me,  I  may  be 
able,  along  with  my  usual  duties,  to  accomplish  this  special  and 
incidental  work.  In  concluding  this  necessarily  egotistical 
letter  I  beg  the  Directors  to  understand,  that  my  promise  to 
the  High  Commissioner  is  to  give  three  or  four  hours  per 
day  to  the  settlement  and  government  of  the  country.    It  is 


234  JOHN  MACKENZIE 


not  intended  ;that  I  shall  have  judicial  functions  ;  there  are 
four  English  magistrates  to  be  appointed  for  this  work.  The 
administrative  work  which  I  am  asked  to  do  will  be  of  great 
consequence  at  the  commencement  of  English  rule  over 
Bechuanaland  ;  but  when  the  vessel  has  passed  the  first  sand- 
banks, the  special  pilot  will,  I  hope,  be  no  longer  needed. 

The  reply  to  this  letter,  from  the  Directors,  con- 
sisted of  further  inquiries  in  a  series  of  questions  which 
called  forth  from  Mackenzie,  on  September  25,  1879, 
a  very  full  set  of  corresponding  explanations.  The 
most  important  of  these  are  as  follows : — 

KURUMAN  via  KiMBERLEY, 

2Sth  Sept.  1879. 

I.  How  has  the  land  been  acquired  by  the  Government  ? 
The  country  has  been  partly  conquered  and  partly  ceded 

to  the  English  Government  by  its  chiefs.  It  is  the  intention, 
I  believe,  to  proclaim  South  Bechuanaland  as  under  British 
"protection";  so  that  as  a  " territory "  the  unbending  and 
letter  formality  of  Enghsh  law  might  not  at  once  be  brought 
to  bear  upon  the  natives. 

II.  Opinion  and  feeling  of  natives  on  annexation. 

The  more  intelligent  part  of  the  people  of  Kuruman  were 
long  ago  in  favour  of  being  under  such  an  equal  law  as  they 
understood  that  of  the  English  to  be.  .  .  .  In  my  opinion,  the 
common  people  and  the  vassals  are  rejoiced  at  the  advent 
of  the  English  rule. 

I  am  in  correspondence  with  chiefs  of  the  surrounding 
tribes.  They  are  undoubtedly  uneasy ;  the  best  people  are 
anxious  to  have  a  settlement ;  the  bad  people  endeavouring 
to  spread  evil  reports.  There  is  one  cause  of  uneasiness — what 
is  to  be  done  with  the  land  ?  So  far  as  the  governing  of  the 
country  is  concerned,  the  chiefs  and  the  people  have  advisedly 
given  themselves  up  to  the  English  Government,  but  they  are 
anxious  as  to  the  fountains ;  the  present  delay  and  apparent 
hesitation  detract  so  far  from  the  English  character  and 
position. 

III.  Are  the  natives  hostile  or  suspicious  towards  the 
missionaries  ? 

So  far  as  I  am  concerned  I  never  regarded  the  natives  as 
hostile  to  missionaries.  It  is  a  fact  that  in  their  late  conceited 


JOHN  MACKENZIE'S  CHOICE 


235 


uprising  the  word  was  given  by  the  natives  on  the  Orange 
River  that  not  even  missionaries  were  to  be  spared ;  but  that 
order  was  given  with  the  idea  of  making  "  siccar  "  or  thorough, 
rather  than  on  account  of  anything  charged  against  the 
missionaries.  .  .  . 

Under  this  query  I  may  mention  that,  when  I  came  here 
in  1876,  Xki^work  which  I  had  to  do  in  building  the  Institution 
was  very  unpopular.  .  .  .  There  is  now  the  best  feeling  towards 
us  in  the  Bechuana  mind.  I  have  received  spontaneous 
messages  from  chiefs  and  head-men  living  at  a  distance,  in 
which  they  warmly  thanked  me  for  what  I  was  doing  in  the 
country  for  peace,  and  for  the  establishment  of  the  people. 

IV.  Is  it  understood  that  you  will  be  a  Government  official 
with  a  salary  ?  What  will  be  your  probable  work  ?  How  far 
have  you  been  doing  this  work  up  to  the  present  time  ? 

I  should  be  a  Government  official,  and  have  a  salary. 
From  its  point  of  view,  the  Government  desires  more  than 
an  outside  helper — one  on  whom  they  can  rely.  Should 
the  sanction  of  the  Home  Government  be  obtained,  it  was 
intended  to  proclaim  the  ceded  and  conquered  territory  as 
far  as  the  Molopo  river.  This  country  was  to  be  divided 
into  four  magistracies  :  one  at  Taungs  ;  another  at  Sehube 
(East  Molopo) ;  a  third  at  Morokweng  (West  Molopo  dis- 
trict), and  the  fourth,  who  should  also  be  a  local  judge,  and 
review  cases  of  appeal,  was  to  be  stationed  at  Kuruman,  or 
rather  Batlaros.  In  the  meantime,  these  magistrates  were  to 
be  captains  of  police  composed  of  Europeans  and  trustworthy 
natives.  All  this  was  to  be  under  a  "  Commissioner "  (or 
whatever  he  might  be  called),  who  in  turn  would  be  under 
the  Administrator  of  Griqualand  West  and  the  High  Com- 
missioner at  the  Cape.  This  office  of  Commissioner  is  the 
one  offered  to  me;  and  the  one  I  have  accepted  in  the 
manner  and  to  the  extent  related  to  you  in  my  former  letter 
on  the  subject.  The  territory  from  the  Molopo  to  Griqua- 
land West,  and  from  the  Hart  river  to  the  Kalahari,  would 
be  under  my  care.  The  office  would  be  purely  adminis- 
trative ;  the  judicial  functions  would  be  performed  by  the 
magistrates  and  judge,  assisted  in  the  first  instance,  and  no 
doubt  for  years,  by  the  various  native  chiefs ;  and,  if  my 
policy  were  carried  out,  I  should  consent  to  be  held  in 
the  usual  sense  responsible  for  the  peace,  government  and 
progress  of  the  territory.  For  about  a  year  this  work  has 
been  virtually  in  my  hands,  having  been  placed  there  by  the 


236  JOHN  MACKENZIE 


Administrator  and  the  Acting  Administrator  of  Griqualand 
West. 

Some  important  movements  and  many  little  matters,  which 
taken  together  make  a  poHcy,  have  been  directed  by  me, 
and  have  been  carried  out  by  the  officers  and  men  of  the 
Border  Police  on  the  one  hand,  and  by  native  chiefs,  trust- 
worthy native  messengers,  etc.,  on  the  other.  But  I  think  it 
right  to  inform  you  that,  although  such  has  been  my  position 
up  to  the  time  I  write  this  letter,  I  have  never  received  a 
penny  of  Government  money.  On  the  contrary,  although  I 
have  had  severe  losses  in  cattle  and  sheep  while  the  dis- 
turbances were  going  on,  and  captured  cattle  are  constantly 
passing  the  station,  I  positively  declined  repeated  invitations 
to  put  in  my  claim  for  compensation.  So  that  I  am  not 
beholden  to  the  Government  in  the  way  of  personal  obliga- 
tion ;  the  services  which  I  have  been  able  to  render  have 
been,  from  the  Government  point  of  view,  worth  a  good  deal. 
I  may  mention  also  that  I  had  made  the  promise  I  gave  at 
Kimberley  before  the  question  of  salary  came  up.  The  salary 
offered  to  me  as  Commissioner  is  ;^iooo  per  annum. 

VII.  How  will  taking  this  work  affect  your  missionary 
position  and  influence,  and  that  of  other  missionaries? 

The  circumstances  of  the  Batlaping  as  to  the  land 
question  are  such  that  my  own  position  and  influence  as 
a  missionary,  and  indirectly  that  of  my  brethren,  would 
be  strengthened  and  increased  w^ere  I  able  to  carry  through 
the  policy  as  to  land,  which  I  have  already  explained  to  the 
Directors.  It  would  be  regarded,  and  justly,  as  a  case  of  the 
missionary  coming  to  the  assistance  of  the  native  and  getting 
for  him  his  rights. 

VIII.  If  released  from  missionary  connection  and  work 
for  say  tw^o  years  could  you  at  the  end  of  that  time  resume 
our  work  ? 

So  far  as  my  judgment  goes,  my  work  as  Commissioner 
would  be  far  from  lowering  me  in  the  natives'  eyes  ;  what 
would  tend  to  lower  me  would  be  the  statement  which  the 
enemies  of  that  woi-k  would  delight  to  spread  "  He  is  no  longer 
a  missionary  now,  he  is  just  hke  the  other  Government 
servants  now\"  If  that  could  be  said  with  absolute  truth  it 
would  tell  against  me  so  far — in  cases  in  which  no  explana- 
tion would  be  given  as  to  why  I  had  left  the  Society  ;  and 
the  people  who  are  unfavourable  to  the  natives  and  unfavour- 
able to  their  rising  in  society  would  no  doubt  keep  back  all 


JOHN  MACKENZIE'S  CHOICE  237 


explanation  which  would  be  to  my  honour.  It  is  my  idea 
that  I  could  best  do  the  work  as  a  missionary. 

IX.  How  am  I  to  do  it — how  can  I  give  three  or  four 
hours  daily  to  this  work  without  sacrificing  the  interests  of 
the  Society,  in  the  duties  laid  upon  me  by  the  Directors  ? 

By  downright  hard  work.  This  is  the  only  explanation  I 
can  give.  I  may  however  add  that  having,  as  Tutor,  to  do 
with  students  who  have  no  literature  to  which  they  can  refer 
after  leaving  the  Seminary,  I  made  it  a  point  at  Shoshong  to 
write  out  my  lessons  to  them  in  every  department,  which 
they  copied  for  after  reference.  Although  one  sees  reason 
to  add  to  or  improve  such  lessons,  they  are  now  extant,  and 
do  not  need  to  be  re-written.  I  could  not  have  done  the 
work  which  I  accomplished  during  the  first  years  of  my 
teaching  at  Shoshong,  with  the  political  work  which  I  have 
done  for  the  people  here.  The  thing  would  have  been 
simply  impossible.  But  as  at  Shoshong  I  was  the  tutor  and 
the  missionary  during  the  day,  easy  of  access  to  everybody 
and  anybody,  while  at  night  I  was  the  student  and  lecture- 
writer  ;  so  here  by  day  work  and  night  work  I  manage  to 
pull  along. 

There  are  some  duties  here  which  have  devolved  on  me 
from  the  force  of  circumstances,  and  not  by  any  appoint- 
ment of  the  Directors — for  instance  the  superintendence  of  the 
agricultural  work  connected  with  the  Institution  gardens 
which  are  13  in  number.  I  believe  that  I  have  shown  that 
I  am  willing  to  do  anything  for  the  Society  ;  and  in  acting 
as  builder  of  the  Institution  I  was  doing  work  as  much  out- 
side pure  missionary  work  as  is  the  agricultural  department 
still  in  my  hands,  or  that  of  Political  Commissioner  which  I 
am  also  transacting. 

I  take  it  for  granted  that  those  who  freely  mingle  in 
politics  at  home — having  before  them  their  great  and  worthy 
aims — must  have  sympathy  with  the  missionary  who  is  not 
afraid  to  go,  as  it  were,  bodily  into  the  conflict  of  frontier 
society,  addressed  now  by  the  European,  now  by  the 
native;  now  by  the  chiefs  and  head-men,  then  by  th 
Colonial  Government;  who  strives  to  have  a  kindly  and 
straightforward  and  helpful  word  for  men  all  round. 

Some  Enghsh  dealers  will  cheat  and  take  advantage  of 
legal  forms  unknown  to  the  native ;  almost  all  the  natives 
are  ignorant  and  therefore  suspicious,  and  liable  to  go  off  at 
a  tangent  under  a  misapprehension.     In  some  cases  the 


238  JOHN  MACKENZIE 


missionary  sees  all  this  take  place,  deploring  that  it  is  not 
his  work  to  interfere,  contenting  himself  in  a  paragraph  in 
his  next  communication  to  the  Directors,  in  which  he  de- 
scribes his  own  trials  and  the  peoples'  sufferings  from 
the  abandoned  white  men  or  from  the  misgovernment 
and  misconduct  of  European  officials.  In  other  cases  the 
missionary  is  a  man,  at  whatever  station  placed,  to  whom 
men  of  all  opinions  and  colours  go  for  his  advice  and 
assistance  when  they  need  it ;  thus  called  upon  he  is  not 
afraid  to  go  into  their  grievances  and  difficulties,  exposing 
now  the  white  and  then  the  black  man ;  for  it  is  not  the  case 
that  the  fault  is  always  on  one  side.  In  this  case  the  mis- 
sionary becomes  a  power  in  the  country.  Europeans  seek 
his  advice  and  assistance,  chiefs  and  people  with  a  real 
grievance  know  where  they  have  a  friend. 

Perhaps  it  will  simplify  matters,  if  I  now  formally  request 
the  Directors  to  be  allowed  to  accept  of  this  Commissioner- 
ship  while  retaining  the  position  which  I  at  present  hold  as 
an  agent  of  the  L.M.S.  Durmg  the  past  year  I  have  dofie 
the  work  of  this  office :  no  one  has  hinted  to  me  that  I  have 
neglected  any  of  my  duties  as  Tutor,  etc.  As  practical  men, 
therefore,  the  Directors  will,  I  hope,  hold  this  to  be  a  con- 
clusive answer  to  theoretical  objections  or  surmises  of  evil. 
The  whole  case  is  on  the  face  of  it  exceptional ;  and  will  no 
doubt  be  thus  judged  by  the  Directors. 

The  Commissionership  means  the  social  establishment  of 
the  people  in  civilized  life ;  the  Tutorship  means  their  moral 
and  spiritual  development  and  elevation.  Solemnly,  I  do 
not  know  which  is  the  greater  work.  I  aspire  to  the  honour 
of  doing  both ;  and  say  to  the  Directors,  let  it  be  tried  ;  if  I 
fail  either  as  Commissioner  or  as  Tutor  it  will  soon  be 
apparent.  Pray  that  in  this  and  all  our  affairs  the  will  of 
the  Lord  may  be  done  by  you  and  by  me. 

During  the  ensuing  months,  while  the  Directors  in 
London  were  considering  this  proposal  and  its  effect 
upon  the  future  of  their  missions  in  South  Africa, 
Mackenzie  continued  his  work  as  the  adviser  of  the 
representatives  of  the  Queen  in  Bechuanaland,  and 
was  indeed  practically  carrying  on  the  work,  as  he 
had  been  doing  for  more  than  a  year,  to  which  it  was 
proposed  now  formally  to  appoint  him.      He  wrote 


JOHN  MACKENZIE'S  CHOICE  239 


various  important  letters  and  memoranda  to  the  High 
Commissioner,  to  Colonel  Lanyon  and  Colonel  Warren, 
and  also  to  the  Colonial  Secretary  in  London,  dis- 
cussing the  various  aspects  of  the  Bechuanaland 
problem  as  they  presented  themselves  month  after 
month.  Towards  the  end  of  the  year  1879,  he  was 
alarmed  to  find  that  the  authorities  had  begun  to 
discuss  the  withdrawal  of  the  police  from  Bechuanaland, 
and  that  their  number  was  being  then  actually  reduced. 
It  has  been  urged  that  the  British  could  do  nothing 
else  than  withdraw  at  this  time,  because  they  had  gone 
into  Bechuanaland  on  a  punitive  expedition  against 
robbers  and  murderers.  They  had,  indeed,  in  order  to 
accomplish  this,  been  forced  into  relations  of  various 
kinds  with  the  native  chiefs  at  whose  towns  the 
fugitives  took  refuge,  and,  in  order  to  allay  the  ex- 
citement which  had  broken  out,  they  incidentally 
found  it  necessary  to  settle  some  quarrels  over 
rights  of  property.  But  the  whole  matter,  it  is  said, 
must  be  viewed  as  a  military  operation  which  gave 
the  Bechuanas  no  right  to  expect  that  the  British 
would  remain,  nor  gave  the  latter  the  right  to  remain 
without  a  formal  proclamation  from  the  Queen. 
Whether  or  not  this  be  the  strict  letter  of  the  law, 
the  substantial  facts  seemed  to  Mackenzie,  and  must 
seem  probably  to  all  fair-minded  people,  to  put 
another  interpretation  upon  the  responsibility  of 
Great  Britain  at  that  time  and  in  that  region.  The 
effect  of  the  military  expedition  had  been  to  shatter 
finally  all  semblance  of  native  rule.  There  was  not 
to  be  found  in  South  Bechuanaland  a  single  native 
chief  who  now  had  as  much  authority  over  his  own 
people  as  before  the  advent  of  Colonel  Lanyon  and 
his  volunteers.  The  successful  military  operations  of 
Colonel  Warren,  and  above  all  his  patient  and  humane 
and  kindly  and  wise  dealings  with  the  natives  in 
settlement  of  their  difficulties  and  in  prevention  of 


240 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


various  attempts  of  white  men  to  rob  them  of  their 
lands,  had  made  him  and  his  officers  practically  rulers 
of  the  land  as  representatives  of  the  Queen,  and  had 
won  the  hearts  of  the  people.  Already,  in  1878, 
Mackenzie  had  written  urgently  to  Colonel  Lanyon 
to  say,  "  I  repeat  it,  we  are  entirely  without  govern- 
ment, and  no  temporary  chastisement  will  meet  our 
case."  Colonel  Lanyon  afterwards  found  this  to  be 
the  case,  for  he  himself  wrote  to  Sir  Bartle  Frere,^ 
saying : — 

My  own  opinion  is  that  Mankoroane  is  powerless  here  for 
good  or  evil,  and  is,  like  all  other  Batlaping  chiefs,  a  mere 
puppet  in  the  hands  of  the  mischievous  natives  of  his  tribe. 
In  either  case,  however,  it  would  seem  desirable  that  some 
steps  should  be  taken  for  placing  those  territories  hitherto 
under  his  charge  under  some  more  powerful  government, 
which  would  naturally  be  that  of  Her  Majesty. 

And  Colonel  Warren  also  discovered  gradually  how 
complete  the  disintegration  of  native  government 
had  become.  The  following  extracts  will  illustrate  his 
impressions  : — 

Makolokue  states  that  he  has  been  unable  to  control  his 
people ;  that  some  of  them  went  down  to  fight  at  Campbell 
in  June.  ...  I  am  endeavouring  to  make  such  arrangements 
as  will  allow  all  the  people  who  are  quiet  to  go  on  with  their 
plowing  at  once,  so  as  to  prevent  a  famine  in  the  land.^ 

And  again, 

Kuruman:  I  have  issued  a  notice  that  while  there  is 
military  occupation  in  those  parts,  and  pending  the  just  and 
lawful  settlement  of  the  land  claims,  no  sales  of  land  or 
houses  are  to  take  place  without  the  sanction  of  the  officer 
commanding  the  field  force.  This  is  to  prevent  land-jobbers 
coming  up  here  to  buy  up  all  the  land  at  low  prices,  and  to 
ruin  the  natives,  as  they  have  been  ruined  in  Griqualand 
West.3 

Mackenzie  gives  an  interesting  illustration  of  the 
^C.  2454,  p.  27.  2222,  pp.  111-113.      3Q2252,  p.  3. 


JOHN  MACKENZIE'S  CHOICE  241 

extent  to  which  this  disorganisation  had  struck  the 
natives  themselves  : — 

One  of  my  messengers,  an  important  member  of  Sechele's 
tribe  (in  North  Bechuanaland),  where  the  chief  is  a  chief, 
was  very  much  struck  with  the  absence  of  all  government  or 
supremacy  of  anyone  at  Morokweng.  The  discussion  in 
the  khotla,  or  court  yard,  was  not  decorous  or  respectable, 
according  to  this  native  messenger's  idea.  Everyone  spoke 
at  the  same  time,  people  turned  their  backs  on  their  chief, 
shouted  and  talked  while  their  superiors  were  trying  to  make 
themselves  heard. 

The  chiefs  not  only  knew  that  they  had  lost  control 
of  their  people,  but  knew  also  that  the  best  blessing 
which  could  come  to  them  would  be  annexation  to  the 
Queen's  dominions.  Of  eight  important  chiefs  with 
whom  Colonel  Warren  came  into  personal  communica- 
tion, and  most  of  whom  he  personally  visited,  no  less 
than  six  sent  in  petitions  praying  to  be  taken  under 
the  government  of  Queen  Victoria  !  Obviously  Great 
Britain  was  now  in  possession  and  in  actual  control  of 
South  Bechuanaland,  and  both  whites  and  blacks  took 
it  for  granted  that  no  retreat  was  possible.  To  all 
alike  it  appeared  clear  that  the  British  Government 
had  come  under  moral  obligations  to  carry  on  what 
she  had  begun,  and  that  now  to  withdraw  would  be 
practically  a  criminal  course.  Colonel  Lanyon  put  the 
matter  in  a  nutshell  when  he  expressed  his  opinion  to 
Colonel  Warren: — "One  thing  is,  I  think,  quite  certain, 
that  it  will  never  be  left  again  to  the  state  of  anarchy 
which  prevailed  there  before."  While  then  Bechuana- 
land had  been  occupied  for  military  purposes,  it  was 
evident  that  the  occupation  had  resulted  in  a  displace- 
ment of  the  pre-existing  native  administration  and  the 
substitution,  for  the  time  being,  of  British  authority  in 
the  country.  The  dismay  of  all  concerned  was  very 
great,  therefore,  when  it  began  to  be  whispered  that 
the  British  police  were  being  withdrawn  before  any 

Q 


242  JOHN  MACKENZIE 


arrangement  was  made  for  the  government  of  the 
land.  Mackenzie,  in  December  1879,  addressed  a 
strong  protest  to  the  High  Commissioner  as  well  as 
to  the  Administrator  of  Griqualand  West.  In  this 
protest  he  described  the  anarchy  of  the  country  so 
far  as  the  chiefs  were  concerned,  and  their  dependence 
upon  the  presence  of  Major  Stanley  Lowe  and  his 
body  of  police.  He  urged  that  a  withdrawal  without 
explanation  would  make  matters  worse  than  they  were 
before,  especially  since  the  Imperial  Government  had 
not  yet  decided  what  to  do  with  the  territory.  When 
this  decision  was  reached,  and  if  it  led  to  the  abandon- 
ment of  the  country,  the  fact  ought  to  be  publicly 
announced  and  explained  to  the  native  chiefs  and 
peoples.  At  present  the  native  chiefs  were  at  a 
loss  to  account  for  all  this  delay  in  the  settlement  of 
their  country.  Nevertheless,  had  it  not  been  for  the 
encroachments  above  referred  to,  both  chiefs  and 
people  were  willing  to  believe  that  all  would  come 
right,  especially  in  connection  with  the  "  provisional " 
acceptance  of  the  surrender  of  their  lands  by  Colonel 
Warren.  To  them  the  word  "  provisional "  had  no 
meaning  when  they  saw  power  actually  lost  by  them 
and  actually  exercised  by  others.  Their  chieftains' 
authority  was  lost,  not  "  provisionally  "  but  absolutely 
and  for  ever,  their  farms  were  being  grabbed,  not 
"  provisionally,"  but  finally  and  unconditionally. 

In  his  letter  to  Sir  Bartle  Frere,  Mackenzie  gives 
fresh  instances  of  the  cruelty  and  the  absolutely 
unprincipled  methods  which  Europeans,  most  of 
whom  were  Dutchmen,  employed,  in  order  to  obtain 
possession  of  the  most  desirable  farm  lands  in  the 
country. 

Later  in  the  same  month  (December  1879), 
Mackenzie  addressed  an  important  letter  both  to 
Sir  Bartle  Frere  and  Sir  Garnet  Wolseley,  who 
were  both  High  Commissioners  in  South  Africa  at 


JOHN  MACKENZIE'S  CHOICE  243 


the  same  time,  according  to  that  curious  arrange- 
ment which  paralysed  the  former,  and  made  the 
subsequent  war  of  the  Boer  revolutionaries  in  the 
Transvaal  shorter  and  easier.  In  this  letter  he  dis- 
cusses the  entire  subject  of  the  relations  of  Great 
Britain  to  South  Africa,  and  especially  to  its  native 
territories.  At  this  point  only  the  following  ex- 
tracts can  be  given,  but  they  will  suffice  to  show 
how  practically  he  was  studying  the  problem,  not 
only  as  it  affected  Bechuanaland,  but  all  other  parts 
of  the  country  as  well.  For  years  Mackenzie  had 
been  brooding,  dreaming,  praying,  working  over 
"South  Africa"  or  "Austral  Africa,"  from  Cape 
Town  to  the  Zambesi,  and  from  ocean  to  ocean. 
The  letter  discusses  some  matters  which  have  now 
passed  beyond  discussion,  but  the  following  sections 
refer  to  problems  which  are  still  very  much  alive, 
and  for  that  reason  are  selected  here  : — 

In  arranging  for  that  "  fresh  departure,"  which  ought  to  be 
the  sequel  of  recent  complications,  disturbances,  and  wars, 
in  various  parts  of  Southern  Africa^  it  is  of  the  utmost  import- 
ance not  only  to  know  the  widely  different  character  and 
wants  of  the  races  with  whom  the  English  Government  has 
to  deal,  but  to  profit  by  the  experience  of  the  past,  and  to 
have  a  carefully  considered  scheme  for  the  future,  eschewing 
all  haphazard  or  improvised  policy. 

Responsibility  is  thrust  upon  the  English  Government  in 
Southern  Africa.  It  is  impossible  to  avoid  it,  except  by 
abandoning  the  country  altogether.  The  northward  pro- 
gress of  Europeans  in  South  Africa  has  been  steady  and 
rapid  in  the  past.  It  takes  place  with  the  consent,  and  at 
the  request,  of  the  native  chiefs  and  people,  who  welcome 
missionaries,  travellers,  and  traders.  They  have  a  keen 
sense  of  the  benefits  flowing  to  themselves  from  this  con- 
tact. But  the  government  of  the  country  by  the  chiefs 
becomes  more  and  more  difficult  after  the  advent  of  the 
Europeans  in  numbers.  The  new  wine  of  European 
energy,  persistence,  and  sometimes  recklessness,  cannot  be 
contained  in  the  old  skin  bottles  of  tribal  laws  and 
customs.    In  several  instances  the  chiefs  have  recognised 


244  JOHN  MACKENZIE 


this  fact,  and  have  asked  for  the  help  of  the  English 
Government.  Such  a  reasonable  request  has  usually  been 
refused.  The  Government  could  not  consent  to  "Annexa- 
tion," or  "increase  of  responsibility."  The  new  wine  and 
the  old  bottles  are  therefore  let  alone  by  the  Government. 
Thieving,  murder,  war,  inevitably  follow;  thousands,  it  may 
be  millions,  of  pounds  are  now  spent ;  precious  lives  are 
lost ;  recriminations  take  place  as  to  who  was  to  blame, 
as  between  political  parties  both  in  England  and  the  Cape 
Colony,  and  occasionally  as  between  the  Home  Government 
and  their  officers  in  South  Africa. 

Now  the  blame  lies  with  the  English  Government,  to  the 
extent  that  England  has  no  South  African  policy  worthy  of 
the  name;  and  in  so  far  as  it  has  one,  viz.,  to  let  things 
alone  as  they  are,  and  to  shrink  from  responsibiUty.  It  is 
worse  than  no  policy,  for  it  is  practically  impossible,  while 
it  so  far  hampers  the  Government  in  South  Africa  as  to  cause 
them  to  do  things  in  a  shuffling  and  uncertain  manner. 

Will  Your  Excellency  allow  me  to  explain  that,  coming 
to  this  country  as  a  missionary  in  1858,  my  great  desire, 
apart  from  the  spiritual  aspect  of  my  work,  was  to  help 
to  elevate  some  tribe  of  Africans,  so  that  they  could  endure 
the  shock  of  meeting  the  wave  of  European  cultivation,  etc., 
etc.,  and  not  be  driven  away  by  it  ?  Close  and  careful  study  of 
the  subject  led  me  in  the  course  of  time  to  see  ,that  politically 
it  would  be  impossible  for  my  wish  to  be  fulfilled ;  the  con- 
stituent elements  of  the  tribes  would  remain,  but  the  tribal 
laws  and  policy  were  destined  to  pass  away.  I  noticed  that 
events  were  taking  place  rapidly  in  South  Africa  a  hundred- 
fold more  rapidly  than  similar  events  had  moved  forward  in 
the  history  of  Europe ;  events  over  which  no  government  had 
control,  but  which  occurred  with  such  rapidity  and  force, 
that  they  may  be  regarded  as  "a  law,"  or  as  the  "will  of 
God."  x\nd  in  this  light  I  have  come  to  regard  the  mingling 
of  the  races  in  Southern  Africa.  I  believe  that  it  is  the  will 
of  God  that  it  should  take  place.  No  one  can  prevent  it. 
The  question  therefore  comes  to  be,  How  is  it  to  be  regu- 
lated, and  by  whom  ? 

Having  made  the  subject  a  special  study  for  many  years, 
I  beg  to  offer  a  few  remarks  upon  it  at  the  present  crisis. 
Sincerely  wishing  well  to  all  classes  and  colours  in  this 
country,  I  desire  that  English  rule  should  be  gradually,  and 
with  due  caution,  extended  over  the  native  tribes ;  and  that  it 


JOHN  MACKENZIE'S  CHOICE  245 


should  be  done  in  such  a  manner  that  England  should  regard 
her  work  m  this  land  with  pleasure  and  with  pride,  instead  of 
impatient  bewilderment,  as  at  present. 

Bechuanaland 

The  Bechuanas  are  like  the  Basutos,  but  divided  into 
small  tribes,  and  inhabiting  a  less  generous  country  than 
Basutoland.  They  have  made  considerable  progress  in  Chris- 
tianity and  civiHzation,  and  the  wealthy  men  are  living  after 
the  fashion  of  farmers  or  Boers — having  opened  up  fountains 
and  led  out  the  water  for  the  irrigation  of  their  lands.  The 
poorer  men  are  good  servants.  There  are  no  labourers  or 
herds  so  much  thought  of  in  the  Colonies  as  the  Maccatees 
or  Mantatees,  as  the  Colonists  call  Bechuanas. 

The  chiefs  are  favourably  impressed  towards  the  English 
Government  in  the  southern  districts.  Those  who  were  dis- 
affected have  been  subdued,  and  their  country  is  still 
occupied.  Almost  all  the  Bechuana  chiefs  have  been  in 
correspondence  with  the  English  Government,  and  have  ex- 
pressed at  some  time  the  desire  to  be  under  English 
protection. 

Their  ignorance  of  the  English  language  and  of  our 
Enghsh  laws  and  modes  of  procedure  render  it  undesirable 
that  they  should  at  once  be  brought  entirely  under  their 
unbending,  and  often  to  a  native,  incomprehensible  routine. 
To  step  at  once  from  native  to  English  law,  as  was  recently 
done  in  Griqualand  West,  would  be  unfair  to  the  Bechuanas 
and  would  have  the  effect  of  placing  them  at  the  mercy  of 
designing  men. 

Proposed  Territory  System 

It  is  well  known  that  in  the  political  economy  of  the 
United  States,  a  "  Territory  "  is  a  state  in  embryo.  I  pro- 
pose that  in  accomplishing  a  nobler  and  more  Christian 
work  in  Southern  Africa  than  Europeans  have  placed  before 
themselves  in  America,  England  should  institute  a  pro- 
visional government  over  tribes  or  districts  conquered  or 
ceded,  by  means  of  which  justice  could  be  administered 
and  peace  preserved,  while  at  the  same  time  the  people 
would  be  trained  to  understand  and  to  appreciate  our 
English  law  and  procedure.  This  is  what  I  have  called  the 
"  Territory  "  system.    The  same  standard  would  be  before 


246  JOHN  MACKENZIE 


the  Administrator  of  a  Territory  as  before  the  Governor  of  a 
Colony ;  the  same  code  of  laws  would  be  the  guide  of  the 
Territory  Judge  or  Magistrate  as  of  his  Colonial  brother  ; 
but  in  the  former  case  the  mode  of  procedure  would  be 
simpler,  and  more  adapted  to  a  people  emerging  from  an 
uncultivated  state. 

I  take  the  liberty  to  propose  that  Bechuanaland  should  be 
proclaimed  to  be  under  the  British  Government  as  a 
"  Territory,"  and  not  as  completely  under  our  laws. 
Further,  I  would  suggest  that  magistrates  should  be  ap- 
pointed at  suitable  places,  and  that  taxes  should  be  levied. 
The  land  should  not  be  saleable  in  said  ■  Territory ;  but 
occupants  of  fountains  should  receive  a  lease  for  say  ten 
years  —  to  be  renewed  on  approval  of  an  imperial  officer, 
after  personal  inspection ;  but  if  said  officer  on  visiting  the 
farm  found  that  improvement  had  not  been  made  as  to 
house- building,  enclosing,  irrigating,  etc.,  or  that  that  oc- 
cupant had  become  by  habit  and  repute  a  cattle-lifter,  and 
his  farm  a  den  of  thieves,  the  lease  should  not  be  renewed 
to  this  tenant,  but  should  be  given  instead  to  one  of  a  list 
of  applicants  for  farms  kept  by  the  Government. 

By  this  system  you  would  also  secure  a  contented  labour- 
ing population  ;  for  while  some  members  of  such  a  native 
farmer's  family  would  stay  on  the  farm  and  work  it,  others 
would  go  out  and  work  for  wages. 

In  the  course  of  time,  when  the  English  language  was 
known  by  the  people,  when  they  had  become  instructed  as 
to  our  laws  and  modes  of  procedure,  the  "  territory  "  system 
might  cease ;  and  union  take  place  with  some  neighbouring 
colony  or  province. 

By  this  scheme,  to  which  any  Bechuana  chief  would  give 
his  ready  consent,  you  would  allow  the  natives  who  are  indus- 
trious, energetic,  and  intelligent  to  rise  in  society ;  and  thus, 
instead  of  being  the  bitterest  and  most  dangerous  class  among 
the  natives,  as  they  have  been  in  some  parts  of  South  Africa, 
you  would  make  them  the  warm  friends  of  the  Government 
under  which  they  had  risen.  At  the  same  time  you  would, 
by  the  prosperity  of  these  successful  men,  stop  the  mouths 
of  the  ill-disposed  natives  who  would  wish  their  fellow- 
countrymen  to  believe  that  it  was  hopeless  to  look  for 
prosperity  under  the  white  man's  rule. 

A  copy  of  this  memorandum,  which  dealt  also  with 


JOHN  MACKENZIE'S  CHOICE  247 


Zululand  and  other  parts  of  South  Africa,  was  for- 
warded to  the  Colonial  Secretary  in  London,  Sir 
Michael  Hicks  Beach. 

In  the  beginning  of  1880  Mackenzie  received  the 
announcement  from  London  that  the  Directors  of  the 
Missionary  Society  did  not  agree  to  his  accepting  the 
position  and  doing  the  work  offered  to  him  by  Sir 
Bartle  Frere.  The  Directors  appear  to  have  been 
under  a  misapprehension  of  almost  all  the  main  points 
which  Mackenzie  had  tried  to  make  so  clear.  His 
reply  to  their  refusal  is  given  here,  not  to  prove  that 
they  were  in  the  wrong,  but  because  Mackenzie  speaks 
his  soul  out  in  these  paragraphs  with  the  warmth  of 
an  earnest  and  unselfish  heart.  The  fact  is  that  the 
Directors  made  the  mistake  of  arguing  their  case.  If 
they  had  simply  said,  "  We  will  never  under  any  cir- 
cumstances allow  one  of  our  agents  to  do  Government 
work,  however  deeply  it  concerns  the  welfare  of  the 
natives  and  of  the  mission,  because  we  must  at  all 
hazards  avoid  creating  a  precedent,"  there  would  have 
been  nothing  to  say.  But  they  went  into  the  merits 
of  this  case,  and  an  answer  was  possible. 

KURUMAN,  \oth  Feb.  1880. 

My  Dear  Mr  Whitehouse, — I  have  received  yours  of 
Nov.  27,  conveying  to  me  the  decision  of  the  Directors  on 
the  question  of  my  performing  certain  political  functions 
while  doing  my  work  as  a  missionary,  tutor,  etc.,  at  Kuruman. 

I  acquiesce  in  that  decision  in  accordance  with  my  state- 
ment to  that  effect  to  Sir  Bartle  Frere,  and  to  the  Directors 
themselves  in  my  letter  to  them  on  the  subject.  Their 
decision  was  to  settle  the  question ;  and  it  has  accordingly 
settled  it. 

What  I  had  feared  however  has  happened.  I  did  what  I 
could  to  show  that  the  case  was  an  exceptional  one,  and 
that,  in  ordinary  circumstances,  I  should  have  no  desire  to 
do  Government  work.  The  answer  of  the  Directors,  however, 
as  I  read  it,  is  not  to  an  exceptional  case  at  all,  but  to  the 
general  question  of  the  union  of  such  offices. 


248  JOHN  MACKENZIE 


You  appear  to  have  misunderstood  my  full  and  unreserved 
statement  concerning  written  lessons  or  lectures.  I  explained 
that  it  was  by  hard  work  and  self-denial  that  I  could  do  this 
Government  work — more  especially  by  night  work.  My 
illustration  was  that  at  Shoshong  I  was  in  class  and  at  the 
disposal  of  the  people  during  the  whole  day,  and  that  my 
lectures  were  chiefly  written  at  night.  A^ot  having  still  to 
write  these  lectures  I  felt  that  so  much  time  could  be  given  to 
other  work.  In  no  part  of  my  letter  did  I  suggest  or  imply 
that  I  would  make  my  written  lectures  alone  or  chiefly  do 
duty  for  the  work  of  a  tutor.  I  thought  that  I  had  made  it 
plain  that  my  intention  was  to  teach  as  I  had  done,  but,  not 
having  now  to  arrange  and  "  get  up  "  the  lectures,  the  time  I 
had  devoted  to  that  could  be  given  to  something  else.  I 
have  always  been  fully  convinced  of  the  absolute  necessity  of 
oral  instruction  in  the  case  of  the  young  men  in  the 
Institution,  with  written  lectures  to  be  copied  by  them  to 
secure  exactness,  and  for  after  reference  at  their  stations  by 
those  who  have  no  literature.  I  must  confess  to  a  feeUng  of 
surprise  that  you  should  have  felt  called  upon  to  make  such 
remarks  to  me  on  this  subject  as  occur  in  your  letter.  Upon 
reflection  I  think  you  will  agree  with  me  that  if  I  had  thought 
lightly  of  my  work  here,  I  would  have  given  it  up  ;  and  that, 
refusing  to  give  it  up,  it  is  at  least  not  hkely  that  I  should 
perform  its  duties  in  a  slovenly  or  perfunctory  manner,  as 
hinted  by  you. 

Another  remark  I  would  refer  to.  You  are  sorry  that  I 
have  been  doing  this  Government  work,  and  believe  that 
my  doing  so  has  meant  much  loss  to  the  Mission.  Nothing 
could  show  me  more  plainly  than  this  statement  that  you  are 
labouring  under  a  co??iplete  ??iisapprehe?ision  as  to  the  nature  of 
the  work  which  I  have  been  doing.  If  you  knew  the  details 
it  would  be  impossible  for  you  to  make  that  remark.  It  is 
far  from  the  truth.  In  effect  I  have  been  fighting  for  the 
natives.  You  say  in  efl'ect  that  I  am  to  let  this  alone  ;  and 
you  expect,  among  other  things,  that  the  natives  will  think 
more  highly  of  me  and  my  brethren  in  consequence  !  Were 
the  policy  carried  out  one  opposed  to  the  interests  of  the 
natives,  and  I  gave  it  my  support,  then  your  remark  would 
have  had  foundation.  As  it  is,  those  who  dislike  my  influence 
and  work  are  the  land-jobbers  and  white  claimants  for  farms. 
It  is  distressing  to  them  that  I  should  be  trusted,  both  by 
the  natives  and  the  Government.    When  you  say  theoreti- 


JOHN  MACKENZIE'S  CHOICE  249 


cally,  "  So  much  work  done  in  the  settlement  of  the  people, 
so  much  loss  to  the  mission,"  you  never  made  a  more 
inapplicable  remark. 

I  feel  however  that  only  personal  intercourse  could  place 
the  Directors  and  myself  in  full  sympathy  on  this  subject. 
Correspondence  would  seem  to  have  failed.  Expressions  of 
thankfulness  and  confidence  come  to  me  from  chiefs  and 
people  on  account  of  what  I  have  been  doing.  This  is  fact, 
and  it  is  quite  in  the  teeth  of  your  theories  as  to  the  result  of 
such  work.  When  missionaries  let  alone  things  and  they 
went  deplorably  wrong,  they  were  suspected  and  blamed  by 
the  ignorant  people  for  having  helped  to  bring  about  the 
evil,  because  what  had  happened  was  to  the  benefit  of 
Europeans.  On  the  other  hand  when  a  missionary  comes  to 
the  front  and  speaks  and  acts  in  behalf  of  the  people,  and 
endeavours  to  secure  for  them  a  good  position  under  English 
Government,  he,  of  course,  secures  the  confidence  both 
of  heathen  and  Christians.  Mark  my  words  :  if  things  go 
wrong  in  Bechuanaland,  the  missionaries  will  be  blamed  by 
the  natives,  no  matter  how  innocent  they  might  be.  Things 
are  not  likely  to  go  right  without  such  active  assistance  as  I 
have  been  able  to  give.  There  are  few  who  are  both  able 
and  willing  to  carry  through  such  a  policy. 

Before  I  leave  this  subject  I  wish  formally  to  say  to  the 
Directors:  In  refusing  your  consent  to  my  formally  assisting 
in  the  political  settlement  of  the  affairs  of  this  territory,  on 
certain  principles  favourable  to  the  natives  which  were  explained 
to  you,  I  think  you  have  made  a  grave  mistake,  in  the 
interests  of  the  natives  and  in  the  interests  of  the  mission, 
which  are  one  and  the  same. 

Throughout  the  year  1880  the  affairs  of  Bechuana- 
land remained,  as  he  said  to  Mr  John  Noble  of 
Cape  Town,  "  in  awkward  suspense."  A  provisional 
acceptance  of  the  surrender  of  their  territories  by  the 
various  chiefs  had  been  granted  by  Colonel  Warren 
in  1879,  but  these  documents  of  surrender  having 
been  forwarded  to  head-quarters,  were  never  heard  of 
again.  Even  the  courteous  refusal  of  the  wonderful 
gift  of  a  kingdom  was  withheld  !  The  chiefs  waited 
on  with  deepening  chagrin.  They  communicated  with 
Mackenzie,  who  strove  as  best  he  could  to  encourage 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


them,  even  when  his  judgment  was  perplexed  and  his 
heart  sore  with  protracted  disappointment.  The  Home 
Government  did  not  know  its  own  mind.  The  Zulu 
war,  owing  to  mismanagement,  had  brought  discredit 
alike  upon  Sir  Bartle  Frere,  who  was  not  responsible 
for  the  mismanagement,  and  on  the  Home  Government. 
A  general  election  was  imminent  which,  it  was  felt, 
would  probably  result  in  the  return  of  Mr  Gladstone 
to  power.  He  and  others  of  his  party  had  so  spoken 
on  South  African  affairs  as  to  make  confusion  in  that 
part  of  the  world  worse  confounded.  No  one  could 
possibly  foretell  what  policy  would  be  adopted  in  any 
part  of  South  Africa.  What  would  be  done  with 
Zululand,  or  with  the  Transvaal,  or  with  Bechuanaland, 
or  with  Griqualand  ?  These  regions  were  all  in  need 
simply  of  firmness  and  justice  and  wisdom  ;  their 
names  were  made  the  occasion  of  party  strife.  And 
this  resulted  in  the  worst  blunders  of  misgovernment. 
The  police  force  in  Bechuanaland  was  gradually 
reduced,  until  at  last,  in  April  1881,  they  were  finally 
and  completely  withdrawn.  On  this  Mackenzie  has 
said  ^ : — 

The  reader  can  imagine  the  weariness  of  these  years  of 
uncertainty.  The  question  was  ever,  "  Has  not  the  mouth 
of  the  Government  come  yet?"  "No,  we  hear  nothing," 
would  be  inevitably  the  reply.  And  to  our  shame  as  an 
Imperial  Power,  be  it  said,  when  the  last  policeman  left 
Bechuanaland,  he  did  so  obeying  a  mere  local  police  order. 
No  warning  from  the  High  Commissioner  was  given  to  the 
chiefs ;  no  reply  to  their  offer  of  obedience  and  submission  ; 
no  advice  as  to  the  future;  the  policemen  just  left — the  military 
occupation  of  three  years  ended ;  and  Bechuanaland  became 
what  every  confidential  adviser  and  commissioner  of  Her 
Majesty  had  said  it  would  become — the  abode  of  anarchy, 
filibustering,  and  outrage. 

In  this  year  (i  88  i)  the  retrocession  of  the  Transvaal 
took  place,  and  the  Pretoria  Convention  was  drawn  up 

^Austral-Africa,  vol.  i.,  p.  118. 


JOHN  MACKENZIE'S  CHOICE  251 


and  signed.  In  the  course  of  negotiations  which  led 
to  this  Convention  the  western  boundary  of  the 
Transvaal  was  carefully  discussed  and  its  course  was 
defined  anew.  The  reader  will  remember  that  one 
of  the  main  features  of  this  Convention,  which  gave 
back  self-government  to  the  Transvaal,  was  the  pro- 
vision that  a  British  Resident  should  live  at  Pretoria  to 
control  the  relations  of  the  Boer  Government  to  the 
native  races,  alike  within  and  outside  the  Transvaal. 
Mr  Gladstone  made,  with  reference  to  this  arrangement, 
the  extraordinary  prophecy  that  it  would  enable  Great 
Britain  to  exercise  a  more  direct  and  actual  control 
over  the  treatment  of  the  natives  by  the  Boers  than 
she  could  exercise  even  in  her  own  colonies !  Sir 
Evelyn  Wood,  one  of  the  Commissioners  at  Pretoria, 
who  showed  more  insight  and  more  independence  of 
judgment  throughout  the  proceedings  than  any  other 
representative  of  Great  Britain,  foresaw  that  this 
was  an  impossible  arrangement.  He  urged,  for 
example,  that  provision  must  be  made  for  the 
appointment  at  once  of  British  Residents  among  the 
tribes  both  on  the  western  and  south-western  borders 
of  the  Transvaal.  These  Residents  would  report  on 
native  affairs  to  the  Resident  at  Pretoria.  Such  a  plan 
would  have  so  far  agreed  with  the  general  policy 
which  Mackenzie  had  for  years  been  advocating,  and 
perhaps  would  have  helped  to  fulfil  Mr  Gladstone's 
prophecy  in  a  small  measure.  But  it  was  overruled, 
and  the  result  was  that  these  native  tribes  were  left  at 
the  mercy  of  the  Boers. 

Not  long  after  the  last  British  policeman  had  left 
Bechuanaland,  that  pitiable  country  began  to  suffer 
painfully  from  the  change.  A  large  number  of  Boers 
from  within  the  Transvaal  began  immediately  to  deal 
with  the  Bechuanas  in  the  old  and  familiar  ways  ;  and 
the  Resident  at  Pretoria,  in  spite  of  Mr  Gladstone's 
prophecy,  was  absolutely  powerless.    These  Boers  did 


252  JOHN  MACKENZIE 


not  act,  of  course,  officially;  but  their  names  were  well 
known,  and  some  of  them  were  men  of  influence  in  the 
Transvaal.  All  representations  made  at  the  seat  of 
Government  were  turned  aside  with  clever  excuses, 
put  off  with  vague  promises,  or  simply  dropped  with 
silent  contempt.  The  invasion  of  Bechuanaland  took 
place  at  two  main  points,  and  it  was  carried  out  in 
an  exceedingly  cunning  and  effective  way.  In  the 
southern  part  where  Mankoroane  held  sway,  an 
ancient  quarrel  between  him  and  Massow,  a  chief 
who  lived  nearer  the  Transvaal,  was  revived  and 
aggravated.  The  Boers,  under  G.  J.  Van  Niekerk, 
at  this  point  offered  themselves  as  volunteers  to 
Massow,  who  accepted  their  service  for  the  purpose 
of  crushing  his  rival.  But  as  soon  as  these  volunteers 
found  themselves  in  Bechuanaland  with  the  natives  at 
their  mercy,  and  the  British  Government  was  now 
6000  miles  away,  they  proceeded  to  settle  down 
and  form  themselves  into  a  Boer  republic  which 
they  called  Stellaland,  the  capital  town  of  which 
was  named  Vryburg.  Further  north,  in  the  country 
of  the  Barolong,  there  lived  an  ancient  foe  of  the 
Boers,  by  name  Montsioa,  who  had  as  his  rival  on 
the  Transvaal  side  of  the  border  a  young  upstart 
called  Moshette.  Moshette  was  of  course  made  the 
object  of  the  warm  regard  of  the  Boers,  and  was 
assisted  by  a  number  of  volunteers.  The  country 
of  Montsioa  was  invaded  under  the  redoubtable  Gey 
Van  Pittius.  Near  Mafeking,  which  was  Montsioa's 
capital,  another  republic  was  going  to  be  established 
under  the  Biblical  name  "Goshen."  Now  Montsioa, 
like  Mankoroane,  had  for  many  years  cherished  the 
deepest  faith  in  the  British  Government,  and  had 
over  and  over  again  petitioned  to  have  himself,  his 
people,  and  their  country  taken  under  British  pro- 
tection and  control.  He  had  more  than  once 
fought   against   the   Boers,  had    showed   himself  a 


JOHN  MACKENZIE'S  CHOICE  253 


clever  diplomat,  and  through  many  years  of  pres- 
sure and  persecution  had  succeeded  in  maintaining 
his  freedom.  In  the  war  of  the  Boers  against 
Great  Britain  (1881)  he,  as  also  Mankoroane,  had 
steadily  refused  to  aid  the  former,  even  when  much 
threatened  and  hard  pressed.  When  people  speak 
of  those  who  fight  for  their  country  and  their 
independence,  pitying  a  race  that  has  its  land 
snatched  from  their  grasp,  and  piously  invoking 
Heaven's  curse  upon  those  who  rob  them  of  Heaven's 
best  blessings,  surely  they  must  shed  many  tears  for 
heroes  like  these  !  These  men  too,  although  black, 
loved  their  land,  ruled  their  people  with  fair  success, 
tilled  their  soil,  herded  their  cattle  ;  not  without  honour 
to  themselves  they  were  increasingly  prosperous,  eager 
for  education  ;  and  withal  they  had  for  long  been  most 
loyal  to  the  distant  "  White  Queen  "  whose  ways  with 
them  disappointed  them  so  much.  These  men  were 
heroes,  if  any  have  lived  in  South  Africa.  Can  any  one 
blame  those  Europeans  who,  as  they  watched  the  fate 
of  such  chiefs  and  their  people,  felt  themselves  roused 
to  a  white  heat  of  indignation  ?  They  knew  that  the 
advent  of  Boer  republics  meant  the  advent  of  the 
Grondwet  of  the  Transvaal  Republic,  with  its  law 
that  no  native  could  have  equal  rights  in  church  or 
state  with  the  white  man,  meant  that  Montsioa  and 
Mankoroane  would  either  be  cooped  up  in  narrow 
and  famished  locations,  or  would  be  reduced  to  the 
position  of  a  degraded  serving  class  without  the 
right  to  own  land  in  their  own  land  !  The  question 
which  was  uppermost  in  the  hearts  of  men  like 
Mackenzie  and  Sir  Bartle  Frere  at  this  period  of 
South  African  history,  was  simply  this  :  Does  Great 
Britain  realise  that  by  refusing  to  accept  the  free 
gift  of  South  Bechuanaland  from  its  own  people, 
she  is  allowing  that  vast  and  rich  region  to  be 
annexed  by  lawless  hosts  of   Europeans,  and  the 


254  JOHN  MACKENZIE 


real  owners  of  that  country  to  be  robbed  of  their 
ancient  possessions  and  trampled  under  the  feet  of 
such  men  as  Van  Niekerk  and  Van  Pittius  ? 

Throughout  1881  Mackenzie  maintained  the  battle 
for  his  people  by  means  of  letters  and  communica- 
tions sent  alike  to  the  new  High  Commissioner,  Sir 
Hercules  Robinson,  at  Cape  Town,  and  the  new 
authorities  at  the  Colonial  Office  in  London.  Early 
in  1882  he  received  permission  from  the  Directors 
to  return  home  for  his  second  furlough.  To  this 
he  refers  in  two  letters  to  Mr  Charles  G.  Oates. 

KURUMAN, /<3:;2.  l8//z,  1882. 

My  Dear  Sir, — I  have  much  pleasure  in  acknowledging 
receipt  of  your  letter,  informing  me  that  you  had  sent  to  my 
address  a  copy  of  your  book  describing  your  brother's  travels 
in  this  country.  I  thank  you  much  for  remembering  me  in 
this  way.  Without  reference  to  its  own  merits  I  shall  treasure 
the  volume  as  a  memento  of  him  whose  steps  in  South  Africa 
it  traced.  The  volume  itself  has  not  come  to  hand,  but  my 
experience  is  that,  while  such  things  often  move  very  slowly  in 
this  country,  not  many  are  lost.  .  .  . 

You  kindly  inquire  about  our  residence  here  and  our 
surroundings.  In  the  language  of  the  advertisements,  this 
is  quite  a  "desirable  residence,"  especially  if  compared  with 
our  house  at  Shoshong.  Besides  the  pastoral  care  of  a  wide 
district  dotted  with  village  churches  (I  mean  small  Christian 
communities  and  not  ecclesiastical  structures,  for  the  last 
have  not  got  beyond  the  wattle-and-daub  era),  I  have  the 
oversight  as  Tutor  of  an  Institution  recently  established  for 
training  native  ministers  and  evangehsts.  The  missionaries 
select  men  of  experience,  who  have  been  tried,  and  who  are 
trusted.  They  come  with  their  families  and  live  in  cottages 
which  have  been  put  up  for  their  reception.  During  their 
stay  the  wives  get  some  instruction  also,  as  well  as  the 
children,  who  are  old  enough  to  go  to  school.  We  carry 
on  things  in  a  quiet,  unpretending  way,  and  trust  that  the 
presence  of  these  men  in  the  villages  throughout  the  country 
will  have  a  very  beneficial  effect.  Christianity  has  been  long 
enough  an  exotic ;  our  effort  is  to  make  it  indigenous. 

I  thank  you  for  your  invitation  to  Meanwoodside ;  at 


JOHN  MACKENZIE'S  CHOICE 


255 


present  it  may  be  looked  at  by  me  as  one  of  the  pleasant 
possibilities  of  my  sojourn  in  England.  Our  Society  pre- 
scribes to  its  missionaries  a  visit  home  every  ten  years ;  and 
it  is  in  connection  with  that  rule  that  our  visit  takes  place. 
At  the  same  time  it  is  of  great  importance  to  us  as  a  family 
to  be  able  to  go  home  at  this  time.  The  children  left  in 
Scotland  eleven  years  ago  are  grown  up  now,  and  about  to 
leave  the  University  to  enter  life  on  their  own  account.  We 
wish  to  be  together  as  one  family,  if  it  please  God,  even  for  a 
little  while. — With  kindest  regards,  I  am  ever  sincerely  yours, 

John  Mackenzie. 

KURUMAN,  i2d  April  1882. 

My  Dear  Mr  Gates, — Since  I  wrote  to  you  I  have 
received  "  Matabeleland  and  the  Victoria  Falls,"  and  I 
have  perused  it  with  great  interest.  You  have  succeeded 
in  producing  a  beautiful  book.  ...  I  rose  from  its  perusal 
with  deep  regret  that  the  traveller  himself  was  not  spared  to 
tell  his  own  story.  You  have  done  your  best ;  and  you  will 
allow  me  to  say  that  your  success  is  gratifying,  and  to  me, 
knowing  the  circumstances  under  which  you  worked,  even 
wonderful.  But  no  one  knows  what  hidden  ideas  were  indi- 
cated by  the  dry  notes  which  came  before  you  for  your 
guidance.  How  suggestive  they  would  have  been  to  him 
who  penned  them  ! 

Let  me  again  thank  you  for  the  handsome  volume,  w^hich  I 
shall  always  prize.  And  allow  me  to  express  my  gratification 
at  the  kindly  manner  in  which  my  name  has  been  mentioned 
by  you.  .  .  .  We  have  begun  packing  up,  and  hope  to  leave 
this  place  in  a  month  or  so.  I  am  afraid  the  Transvaal  will 
again  force  itself  into  notice.  Their  borders  are  already  dis- 
turbed. The  truth  as  to  recent  border  affairs  does  not  seem 
to  be  known  at  home.  One  set  of  statements  is  welcomed  by 
Her  Majesty's  Government,  and  distrusted  by  the  Opposition. 
An  opposite  story  is  published  in  Opposition  papers,  and  is 
stigmatised  as  "Jingo  lies."  This  does  not  seem  to  me  very 
admirable  as  a  method  of  government.  I  should  think 
thousands  of  Englishmen,  when  they  think  of  the  matter 
at  all,  feel  inclined  to  ask,  "Politics  aside,  and  political 
struggles  aside,  what  are  the  facts  with  reference  to  the 
Transvaal  and  the  natives?" 

The  Transvaal  Governme?it  is  not  at  war — the  Republic  is 
at  peace  ;  but  a  few  days  ago  a  party  of  armed  Boers  stole 


256 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


cattle  and  shot  some  dozen  herds  within  fifty  miles  of  this 
place.  At  their  "laager"  there  are  said  to  be  some  200  or 
300  armed  and  mounted  Boers  ;  their  leaders  men  of  influence 
and  position  in  the  Transvaal. — With  kindest  regards,  I  am 
ever  yours  sincerely,  John  Mackenzie. 

With  a  heavy  and  sad  heart  Mackenzie  left  Bechuana- 
land,  dark  days  lowering  before  it.  He  was  well  received 
at  Cape  Town  by  Sir  Hercules  Robinson,  who  paid 
close  attention  to  his  evidence,  his  proposals,  and  his 
arguments.  But  his  mind,  as  he  sailed  from  Cape 
Town,  was  fixed  on  London,  and  the  determination 
was  already  forming  in  his  heart  that  he  would,  if  God 
gave  him  strength,  so  place  the  entire  facts  before  the 
Government  and  the  people  of  Great  Britain  as  to 
bring  about  a  reversal  of  the  disastrous  policy  which 
had  been  adopted  in  South  Africa. 


CHAPTER  X 


THE  MISSIONARY  AS  POLITICAL  EDUCATOR 
(1882,  1883) 

When  John  Mackenzie  landed  in  England,  in  July 
I  882,  he  entered  on  a  new  career.  All  that  he  had 
done  hitherto  in  the  way  of  political  work  had  been 
incidental,  and  had  been  ever  kept  subordinate  to  the 
various  responsibilities  of  his  position  as  Tutor  of  the 
Moffat  Institution  and  Pastor  of  the  Kuruman  Church. 
But  he  was  now  to  enter  on  a  course  of  work  which 
gradually  reversed  the  relations  of  these  two  supreme 
interests  of  his  public  life.  He  has  described,  in 
"  Austral  Africa,"  the  atmosphere  of  England,  on  the 
question  of  South  Africa,  when  he  began  to  breathe  it 
in  that  summer  of  '82.  It  was  enough  to  stifle  hope. 
The  Liberal  Government  was  then  in  power,  under 
Mr  Gladstone's  leadership,  and  Lord  Kimberley  was  at 
the  head  of  the  Colonial  Office.  The  public  mind  had 
been  dazed  and  the  public  heart  disgusted  by  the 
events  of  the  preceding  four  or  five  years  in  South 
Africa.  The  only  people  who  knew  that  they  had  an 
opinion,  even  when  the}-  had  no  real  facts  on  which  to 
base  it,  were  those  who  openly  triumphed  over  the 
retrocession  of  the  Transvaal,  and  who  preached  the 
doctrine  that  Great  Britain  ought  to  leave  South 
Africa  to  the  Dutch.  This  section  of  the  Liberal 
party  were  definite  and  vociferous,  whensoever  any 
aspect  of  South  African  policy  was  raised  ;  to  be  at 
once  definite  and  vociferous  is  always  very  impressive. 

R  2^7 


258 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


For  the  rest,  Mackenzie  found  them  all  in  deep 
ignorance  of  the  facts  ;  all  vaguely  felt  that  "  some 
one  had  blundered,"  that  the  true  solution  of  the 
problem  had  not  yet  been  proposed,  but  did  not  know 
where  to  turn  for  light  or  for  a  leader.  The  general 
trend  of  feeling  among  the  Conservatives  was  that  of 
people  who  having  blundered  are  struck  dumb,  or 
who  prove  ineffective  as  critics  of  those  who  commit 
fresh  blunders  by  way  of  correcting  theirs.  Mr 
Gladstone  had  tried  to  atone  for  a  badly  managed 
annexation  in  1877,  by  a  worse  managed  retroces- 
sion in  1 881;  and  Lord  Kimberley  was  now  trying 
by  mildness  and  generosity  to  win  the  trust  and 
elicit  the  faithfulness  of  the  Boers,  whom  Lord 
Carnarvon  was  supposed  to  have  driven  into  fear 
and  suspicion. 

Mackenzie  was  therefore  confronted  with  a  perplex- 
ing situation  as  he  stepped  into  the  political  life  of 
London.  We  have  seen  abundant  proof  of  the  deep 
love  which  he  cherished  for  his  family,  of  the  yearning 
with  which  he  looked  forward  to  that  reunion  with 
those  whom  he  had  left  as  children  and  would  now 
greet  as  men  and  women,  learning  to  call  them  his 
children  still.  It  is  characteristic  of  his  unselfish 
spirit,  that  sending  his  wife  and  family  down  to 
Scotland,  missing  the  first  flush  of  that  joy,  he 
remained  in  London.  His  "  King's  business,"  the 
salvation  of  Bechuanaland  by  the  British  Government 
from  an  impending  destruction,  required  haste.  Within 
a  fortnight  he  organised  and  held  his  first  meeting, 
and  made  his  first  public  speech.  The  meeting  was 
called  by  the  Directors  of  the  London  Missionary 
Society,  and  was  held  in  the  Westminster  Palace 
Hotel  on  July  25th.  Mackenzie's  speech  was  a  clear 
recital  of  the  cruel  facts  of  the  case  in  Bechuanaland. 
He  proved  to  his  audience  that  the  Bechuana  people 
were  not  savages. 


AS  POLITICAL  EDUCATOR  259 

Not  long  ago  a  certain  town  in  Bechuanaland  was  looted. 
The  spoils  of  that  town  were  put  up  to  auction.  They  were 
much  the  same  as  the  spoils  of  a  colonial  village  :  you  could 
not,  through  many  of  the  articles,  have  discovered  any  black- 
ness about  their  owners.  There  were  the  ploughs  and 
agricultural  implements  of  farmers,  presses,  Staffordshire  ware, 
and  such  things  as  belonged  to  small  farmers  :  and  I  was 
told  that  some  Europeans  purchased  the  new  and  made-up 
clothing,  and  wore  it. 

He  recounted  the  relations  of  Great  Britain  to  that 
country,  from  1878  to  1881,  and  the  innumerable 
proofs  which  those  tribes  had  given,  through  their 
chiefs,  of  their  intense  desire  to  be  protected  by  the 
government  of  the  Queen.  He  then  described  the 
manner  in  which  Boers  from  the  Transvaal  had  been 
invading  and  swallowing  up  the  lands,  and  seizing  the 
individual  farms  of  these  defenceless  people.  Much 
stress  was  laid  upon  the  impotence  of  the  British 
Resident  at  Pretoria,  that  official  through  whom  Mr 
Gladstone  had  prophesied  that  the  natives  would 
receive,  so  completely,  the  watchful  oversight  and 
strong  help  of  Great  Britain. 

I  feel  there  is  nothing  that  I,  as  an  individual,  would  not 
do  to  give  these  people  the  right  to  the  fountains  which  they 
are  using  and  the  land  which  they  hold.  I  do  not  wish 
them  treated  in  any  special  way,  but  only  in  the  light  of 
English  Christianity  and  justice.  Many  things  I  might 
have  said  or  written  at  an  earlier  date  in  the  history  of 
these  disturbances,  but  I  judged  it  best  to  be  silent. 
Under  the  present  circumstances,  however,  silence  on  my 
part  would  be  a  crime. 

The  speech  was  printed  and  widely  circulated  as  a 
pamphlet. 

From  that  meeting  Mackenzie  hurried  down  to 
Scotland,  got  off  the  train  when  it  stopped  at  Porto- 
bello  for  "  taking  the  tickets,"  and  there  met  his  two 
sons,  one  of  them  taller  by  several  inches  than  himself, 


26o 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


bearded  fellows  now,  whom  he  had  not  seen  since 
1 87 1.  Only  those  who  have  gone  through  it  can 
tell  what  those  trying  first  hours  in  a  reunited  family 
must  be.  However  frank  and  sincere  and  full  the 
correspondence  has  been,  there  is  something  of  a 
bitter  experiment  involved  in  that  meeting.  "  Are 
they  our  children  still  ?  "  the  parents  ask  each  other 
when  the  day  of  severest  strain  has  ended.  And  the 
hearts  of  loyal  sons  and  daughters  have  been  wondering 
too  in  their  silent  depths,  and  have  been  asking  and 
answering  questions  of  the  keenest  kind  all  that  day 
long,  such  as  it  would  be  disloyal  for  others  to  face 
who  had  never  passed  through  that  long  separation 
to  this  supreme  day  of  trial  and,  please  God,  of 
unspeakable  joy.  To  John  Mackenzie  it  was  un- 
speakable joy. 

For  six  short  weeks  he  had  all  his  children,  who 
numbered  nine  (three  sons  and  six  daughters)  under 
his  roof,  four  of  these  weeks  being  spent  in  the  village 
of  Urquhart,  near  his  own  beloved  Elgin.  One  day  he 
walked  with  one  or  two  of  his  boys  into  Elgin.  When 
they  had  passed  the  "  Institution,"  where  he  had 
his  schooling,  and  were  in  the  narrow  part  of  High 
Street,  before  it  widens  around  the  Parish  Church,  he 
suddenly  stopped,  struck  the  pavement  with  his  stick, 
and  exclaimed,  "  I  smell  Elgin  !  "  His  laughing  boys 
looked  round  and  accounted  for  his  discovery  of  Elgin 
by  several  shops — odoriferous — 'which  had  clustered 
opposite  that  spot  in  his  bo}'hood,  and  by  which  he 
must  often  have  been  arrested  as  he  passed  five  and 
thirty  years  before. 

On  the  4th  of  September  he  took  part  in  the 
ordination  of  his  eldest  son  as  minister  of  the 
Congregational  Church  at  Montrose.  He  offered 
the  "  ordination  prayer,"  and  himself  led  in  the 
laying-on  of  the  hands  of  the  presbytery."  It 
was  a  great  satisfaction  to  him  that  in  this  ordain- 


AS  POLITICAL  EDUCATOR  261 


ing  act  the  ministers  of  five  or  six  different  sections 
of  the  Evangelical  Church  took  part ;  as  also  that  Dr 
Lindsay  Alexander  of  Edinburgh,  who  had  "  delivered 
the  charge "  at  his  own  ordination  in  1858,  did  the 
same  for  his  son  in  1882. 

In  September,  Mackenzie  resumed  his  work  of 
informing  the  British  public  about  Bechuanaland. 
The  journeys  which  he  had  to  make  as  a  represen- 
tative of  the  London  Missionary  Society  enabled 
him  to  address  a  large  portion  of  the  most  influential 
Nonconformists  in  the  country.  And  for  several 
months  thereafter  Mr  Gladstone's  Government  was 
made  the  somewhat  unwilling  and  astonished  re- 
cipient of  strong  resolutions  from  all  parts  of 
England,  in  favour  of  firm  action  in  Bechuanaland 
and  of  Imperial  protection  of  the  native  races.  In 
Birmingham  Town  Hall  a  large  meeti'^.g  showed  a 
very  real  and  earnest  interest  in  the  matter.  From 
Leeds,  Bradford,  Bristol,  Ashton-under-Lyne,  in  the 
months  of  September  and  October,  and  from  other 
places  such  as  Bolton  and  Farnworth,  in  February, 
this  demand  was  made.  At  these  meetings  the 
resolutions  were  discussed  at  length  by  well-known 
men.  And  at  most  of  them  Mackenzie  was  himself 
present  to  give  full  information  both  in  public  and 
in  private.  He  of  course  organised  the  movement 
at  each  of  these  places.  Between  September  loth 
and  October  24th,  he  visited  twenty-nine  places, 
frequently  giving  two,  and  even  three  speeches  or 
sermons  in  one  day. 

At  this  time,  acting  on  the  advice  of  many  friends, 
he  wrote  a  letter  to  Mr  Gladstone  on  the  state  of 
affairs  in  Bechuanaland,  forwarding  his  pamphlet,  and 
earnestly  asking  the  Prime  Minister's  personal  interest 
in  the  question.  "  In  spite  of  all  that  has  transpired," 
he  urged,  "  it  is  my  deliberate  opinion  that  it  would  be 
easy  for  England  to  govern  South  Africa  if  a  certain 


262 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


course  were  followed."  Mr  Gladstone's  reply  seemed 
to  indicate  a  personal  indifference  on  the  subject,  and 
merely  referred  his  correspondent  to  the  Colonial 
Secretary. 

One  of  the  most  valuable  allies  whom  Mackenzie 
found  in  the  provinces  was  the  late  Dr  R.  W.  Dale 
of  Birmingham.  With  his  usual  force  and  clear- 
ness of  judgment,  Dale  studied  the  case,  and  frankly 
gave  his  aid  to  his  missionary -brother.  Some  of 
Mackenzie's  best  letters  were  addressed  to  him, 
and  they  were  well  repaid  by  various  timely  and 
well-placed  services  which  Dale  rendered  to  his 
cause. 

3  Buckingham  Villas,  Clifton, 
Bristol,  18//^  6V//.  1882. 

My  Dear  Mr  Dale, — Thanks  for  your  letter,  which 
I  got  last  night,  after  coming  home  from  the  day's 
work. 

I  went  this  morning  to  "  take  up  the  spoor,"  or  track  of 
the  discussion,  and  see  where  the  Pall  Mall  Gazette  was  on 
this  question.  I  have  read  the  Tifnes,  the  two  notes  in  the 
Gazette,  and  your  letter  in  the  latter. 

Your  position  is  quite  impregnable  behind  a  signed 
Convention.  That  of  the  Gazette  quite  disgraceful ;  and 
such  writing  has  been  the  fruitful  cause  of  deeds  of 
wrong  in  South  Africa,  inasmuch  as  lawless  men  see  how 
the  land  lies  ;  and  that  they  will  be  left  to  do  what  they 
Hke. 

"  Do  you  mean  War  ?  "  This  is  supposed  to  be  a  poser 
to  a  Christian  minister.  What  did  the  Royal  Commission, 
the  Liberal  Government,  mean  when,  leaving  the  subject  of 
the  natives  within  the  borders  of  the  Transvaal,  they  pro- 
ceeded to  treat  of  the  natives  outside  that  country  ?  In  case 
outrage  or  wrong  should  be  committed  by  Transvaal  people 
the  settlement  should  be  in  the  hands  of  the  English 
Resident  and  the  English  High  Commisioner,  and  their 
decision  should  be  final  1 

Taking  the  sneering  remarks  of  the  Pall  Mall  as  one's 
guide,  the  opinion  is  forced  on  us  that  an  immorality  was 


AS  POLITICAL  EDUCATOR  263 


perpetrated  by  the  English  Commissioner  and  EngHsh 
Government  when  they  signed  the  Convention.  They  pro- 
fessed to  do  one  thing ;  and  posed  before  the  reHgious 
pubhc  of  England  and  of  Europe  as  the  benevolent  doers  of 
it.  "  As  heretofore,  England  would  reserve  for  herself  the 
protection  of  native  races,"  etc.,  etc.  Now,  it  seems  this 
was  all  bosh  and  only  meant  to  deceive,  and  carry  forward 
for  the  time  the  religious  public  of  England. 

It  seems  to  me  impossible  to  harmonize  your  position  and 
that  of  the  Pall  Mall.  The  one  is  the  open  truth  ;  the 
other  is  the  sinister  and  sneaking  inuendo-making  expediency 
of  a  hand-to-mouth  policy. 

There  is  a  practicalness  about  the  step  which  was  taken 
in  Birmingham  which  will  commend  itself  elsewhere,  I 
have  no  doubt.  The  work  of  the  religious  pubHc  of  Eng- 
land in  an  African  district  is  in  imminent  peril  through 
the  marauding  inroads  of  Boers,  in  the  teeth  of  a  Con- 
vention signed  by  them  and  by  our  own  Government. 
What  sort  of  people  are  the  religious  people  of  this  country, 
if  they  would  quietly  and  meekly  submit  to  that  without 
giving  any  sign  ? 

And  what  sort  of  Government  have  we  got  if  they  will 
righteously  and  piously  make  due  and  formal  provisions  for 
doing  a  thing  which  they  have  long  prided  themselves  on 
doing — inwardly  resolving,  all  the  while,  that  what  they 
openly  promise  they  will  secretly  deny  ? 

What  was  conceded  to  the  Transvaal  was  self-govermnent. 
What  was  advisedly  and  formally  kept  from  them  was 
management  of  native  affairs,  either  within  or  beyond  the 
Transvaal.  If  the  English  Government  were  to  say  openly 
and  earnestly :  We  will  support  the  Convention,  the 
marauders  must  leave  Bechuanaland,  there  would  be  no 
"  war."  It  is  the  sneers  of  the  Fall  Mall  Gazette  people 
which  make  wars. 

By  the  way,  what  has  become  of  the  Anti-Annexation 
Society  in  the  Bechuana  matter  ?  Why  don't  they  give  the 
Bechuanas  their  "  moral  support  ?  "  I  asked  this  of  someone 
in  London,  and  his  reply  was  that  the  Bechuanas  were 
better  without  it. 

My  wife  told  you  about  the  powder.  That,  of  course,  is 
not  the  main  question.  The  main  question  is  the  open 
breach  of  Convention  by  both  Transvaal  and  English 
Governments  in  the  present  state  of  things  in  Bechuanaland. 


264 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


As  a  matter  of  fact  and  law,  all  powder  sales  in  South 
Africa  are  transacted  after  getting  permits  from  government 
officials.  These  permits  are  refused  to  black  men,  and  to 
traders  living  among  them.  These  permits  are  granted  to 
Boers,  and  to  traders  living  among  them.  This  is  not 
referred  to  in  the  Pretoria  Convention.  Without  breach  of 
it  powder  might  be  freely  sold. 

It  was  specifically  referred  to  in  the  Sand  River  Convention 
— no  powder  was  to  be  sold  to  blacks,  and  no  treaty  was  to 
be  made  with  the?n  by  England.  By  the  way,  have  you  ever 
seen  that  delightful  document  ?  It  would  raise  your 
opinion  of  your  native  land  to  peruse  it.  Its  pro- 
visions as  to  powder  were  relaxed  by  Colonial  and  Trans- 
vaal Governments,  that  is  to  say,  practically.  Natal  has 
always  professed  to  be  strict  as  to  the  sale  of  guns, 
etc. 

In  Bechuanaland,  so  strictly  is  powder  law  now  observed, 
that  the  wild  beasts  are  fast  gaining  ground  upon  the 
people ;  they  had  come  back  quite  near  to  Kuruman  before 
I  left. 

I  have  seen  Mr  Arnold  Thomas  and  talked  over  the 
matter.  Don't  know  yet  what  they  will  do.  But  I  feel  sure 
in  my  own  mind  that  good  will  come  out  of  the  agitation. 
Mr  Thomas  said  something  as  to  the  advisability  of  having 
the  matter  before  the  Congregational  Union,  at  its  meeting 
here.  I  mention  this  as  being  his  thought,  that  you  may 
consider  it. 

Trusting  that  the  blessing  of  those  who  are  ready  to 
perish  may  find  you  out  and  be  yours, — I  am,  ever  yours 
sincerely, 

John  Mackenzie. 

But  it  was  in  London  of  course  that  this  battle 
must  be  lost  or  won.  There  were  three  directions 
in  which  he  looked  for  help — the  press,  the  philan- 
thropic societies,  and  such  members  of  Parliament 
as  he  could  at  once  reach  and  influence.  He  early 
found  a  most  intelligent  and  hard-working  friend 
in  the  late  Mr  F.  W.  Chesson,  who  was  at  that 
time  Secretary  of  the  Aborigines  Protection  Society 
With  his  help  a  "  South  African  Committee "  was 
formed  which  included  some  very  strong  men,  and 


AS  POLITICAL  EDUCATOR  265 


that  committee  proved  to  be  a  powerful  instrument 
both  for  educating  the  pubHc  mind  and  moving  the 
will  of  the  Government.  The  Lord  Mayor,  Sir 
R.  N.  Fowler,  M.P.,  was  on  the  committee,  and 
speedily  called  a  public  meeting  at  the  Mansion 
House  to  consider  the  affairs  of  South  Africa. 

In  his  attempts  to  use  the  press,  Mackenzie 
employed  two  methods.  One  was  to  convince,  by 
means  of  personal  interviews,  the  editors  of  several 
of  the  most  influential  journals  ;  the  second  was  to 
contribute  articles  of  his  own  to  the  columns  of 
certain  others.  His  first  article  was  accepted  by 
the  Scotsman  on  October  10,  1882.  Thereafter  he 
wrote  very  frequently  for  that  paper  as  well  as  for 
the  Leeds  Mercury.  Mr  Talbot  Baines  of  the  Mercury 
became  one  of  his  staunchest  and  most  encouraging 
friends.  Among  the  London  papers  his  attention 
was  early  directed  to  the  Pall  Mall  Gazette^  which 
at  that  time  was  edited  by  Mr  John  Morley.  We 
have  seen  in  his  letter  to  Dr  Dale  how  deeply  he 
resented  the  tone  in  which  that  paper  discussed 
South  African  affairs.  It  frankly,  almost  cynically, 
advocated  the  "letting  go"  policy.  In  tliis  case, 
the  only  plan  seemed  to  be  to  convert  the  editor, 
and  this  could  only  be  done  by  means  of  a  personal 
acquaintance.  Mr  Morley  won  Mackenzie's  heart 
with  his  kindness,  his  perfect  sincerity,  his  willingness 
to  listen  to  the  other  side,  his  judicial  fairness.  For 
a  time  it  looked  as  if  Mr  Morley  might  be  gained  ; 
but  to  the  defender  of  Britain's  South  African  Empire 
there  came  the  great  disappointment  of  seeing  Mr 
Morley  at  a  later  date  stand  up  in  the  House  un- 
converted, and  hostile  still  to  the  new  policy  which 
was  then  beginning  to  win  the  attention  of  the 
Government. 

The  following  letter  to  his  eldest  son  gives  an 
account  of  his  effort  to  convince  Mr  Courtney,  one 


266 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


of  the  most  determined  advocates  then  and  since  of 
the  policy  of  abandoning  South  Africa. 

II  Queen's  Square, 
Bloomsbury,  26///  Nov.  1882. 

Dear  Willie, — I  have  just  come  back  from  Mr  John 
Morley's  house,  where  I  spent  the  night.  ...  I  went  between 
3  and  4  p.m.  It  was  a  visit  of  great  pleasure  to  me.  All 
the  people  were  nice ;  but  the  Morleys  are  all  very  nice.  I 
hope  I  shall  like  Courtney  on  ahead.  I  can't  say  I  do  so 
just  now ;  but  he  is  a  very  fine  fellow,  says  Mr  Morley,  and 
I  believe  it  is  so. 

Had  a  long  talk  with  Morley  before  dinner.  I  think 
he  is  more  interested  in  "  my  view,"  or  "  scheme,"  as  he 
called  it.  He  said  some  warm  things  in  its  praise  when 
summarizing  on  more  than  one  occasion.  I  judged  of  his 
feeHngs  and  position  very  much  by  the  intense  interest  he 
showed  in  Courtney's  face  as  I  was  talking  to  him  after  the 
ladies  left  the  room.  I  could  see,  or  fancied  so,  that  Morley 
wished  me  to  get  on  well  with  Courtney,  and  watched  the 
effect  of  every  "  point "  I  made. 

Dear  Willie,  Courtney  made  "  no  bones  "  about  admitting 
right  off,  that  those  who  think  with  him  want  to  "  clear  out " 
from  South  Africa  entirely,  and  openly  said  he  believed  the 
natives  would  "go  as  the  Choctaws  had  done,"  after  the 
English  Government  had  left  Africa.  This  is  exactly  what 
Lord  Kimberley  said  on  my  second  interview  with  him.  He 
(Courtney)  expressed  an  opinion  that  this  entirely  "  letting 
alone"  would  soon  be  announced  publicly.  His  position 
argumentatively  is  this :  We  never  could  govern  South  Africa 
in  the  past.  We  had  as  fine  men  trying  as  any  we  are  likely 
to  have  now  or  in  the  future.  The  lowering  of  the  suffrage 
in  this  country  has  rendered  all  government  more  difficult 
— especially  of  such  outlying  governments — the  pressure  of 
work  being  so  great.  "  We  can't  do  it — it's  impossible,  and 
by  and  by  the  suffrage  will  be  still  more  widened."  I  joined 
issue  as  to  the  African  fact  that  fair  effort  had  been  given  to 
the  work  there.  The  enquiry  was  a  historical  one,  and  was 
ascertainable  with  niceness.  Gladstone,  I  said,  was  on  my 
side  here,  and  publicly  admitted  they  had  had  no  South 
African  policy — only  "  staving  off  the  evil  day."  "  I  daresay, 
like  one  of  his  speeches."    "And  then,  sir,"  I  said,  "your 


AS  POLITICAL  EDUCATOR  267 


opinion  supposes  that  we  cannot  go  beyond  those  who 
preceded  us  in  attainment ;  and  that  we  cannot  learn  from 
history  and  from  their  mistakes."  At  Morley's  suggestion  I 
then  briefly  sketched  my  plan.  "Couldn't  possibly  do  it 
with  our  changed  constitution  or  mode  of — I  forget  exact 
expression — doing  public  business.  You  see,  a  few  years 
ago  we  had  the  aristocratic  class  doing  that  work,  according 
to  their  light,  and  finding  it  to  be,  as  they  thought,  their 
vocation.  All  that  is  now  changed — our  democracy  is  an 
entirely  different  thing." 

Well !  there  were  several  answers  that  suggested  them- 
selves here.  The  one  I  gave,  I  think,  was  that  to  press  that 
argument  was  to  show  that  unless  it  cleared  its  way  and  got 
more  time  to  do  its  real  work  the  Enghsh  Government 
would  be  effete  altogether,  even  for  insular  work  ;  that  my 
scheme  of  sending  a  Department  of  Downing  Street,  as  it 
were,  to  South  Africa,  was  in  the  nature  of  improving  that 
mode  of  procedure.  I  afterwards  spoke  very  seriously  to 
Morley  about  this  view  as  a  complete  giving  up  of  the 
cohering  English  Empire,  and  the  abnegating,  as  I  thought 
in  an  unworthy  way,  of  duties  and  responsibilities  which 
Providence  had  imposed  on  England  :  and  that  the  character 
of  our  people  must  suffer,  if  they  came  under  the  active 
power  of  such  motives  ;  they  would  shrink  into  something 
very  little  indeed.  "  I  grant  yours  is  far  the  nobler  position 
and  begets  more  worthy  and  chivalrous  feelings,"  was  his 
reply. 

But  that  about  the  Choctaws,  and  the  way  it  was  put, 
went  to  my  heart  like  a  knell.  At  Morley's  instigation  I 
told  how  the  Bechuanas  had  improved — irrigation,  plough- 
ing, etc.  "  Quite  surprising  in  such  a  short  time ;  I  am 
much  interested,"  said  Morley.  But  Courtney  was  silent. 
Evidently,  here,  Morley  was  helping  me  in  a  kind  way.  Mr 
Morley  is  not  satisfied  that  my  scheme  has  been  fairly 
understood  by  Mr  Courtney.  Suggested  that  I  should  have 
another  interview  with  him — he  would  arrange  it.  I  said  I 
thought  there  was  little  hope,  he  had  made  up  his  mind.  I 
then  reminded  him  of  my  social  disqualifications — nobody, 
etc.,  yet  a  missionary.  He  insisted  on  it,  however  ;  only 
perhaps  Mr  Courtney  himself  will  be  of  my  opinion, 
and  not  wish  any  more  of  it — though,  even  if  that  were 
the  case,  I  should  think  he  would  find  it  hard  to  deny  his 
friend. 


268 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


We  breakfasted  early  this  morning — sitting  down  at  table 
at  a  quarter  to  8  o'clock.  Mr  Morley's  work  demanded  this. 
Therefore  he  goes  early  to  bed.  Spoke  about  meeting  again 
— arranged  about  my  writing  a  magazine  article — and  so 
parted.    With  love.  J.  M. 

In  a  few  days  the  matter  was  up  in  the  House  of 
Commons  and  Mr  Evelyn  Ashley,  who  was  then 
Under  Secretary  for  the  Colonies,  asserted  that  the 
Government  could  and  would  do  nothing.  Next  day 
he  was  visited  at  the  Colonial  Office  by  the  terribly 
earnest  missionary,  who  had  begun  to  haunt  that  home 
of  Imperial  officers  with  an  untiring  persistence.  The 
following  letter  to  his  second  son  describes  that  visit 
and  reveals  something  of  his  method  and  the  secret  of 
his  success  : — 

London  Missionary  Society, 
Blomfield  Street,  London  Wall,  E.G., 
is^  Dec.  1882. 

Dear  Johnnie, — I  got  your  nice  letter.  I  want  to  jot 
down  the  events  of  last  night  and  to-day. 

Mr  Ashley  gave  a  flat  denial  to  the  suggestion  that 
more  should  be  done  by  the  Government  than  had  been 
done.  "  They  were  not  to  do  more."  Well,  I  have 
seen  Mr  Ashley  and  I  wish  to  jot  down  about  it  while  it 
is  fresh. 

He  was  very  dry  indeed  when  I  went  in.  Did  not  say, 
sit  down.  "  Well,  Sir,  anything  fresh — more  than  we  know  ?  " 
"  No,  nothing  fresh,  except  that  I  saw  from  your  answer  last 
night  you  were  not  aware  that  those  fellows  were  now  acting 
for  themselves,  without  any  chiefs  intervening."  "We  have 
not  heard  that.  But  sit  down — let  us  talk  about  it.  What 
I  do  say  heartily  and  earnestly  is,  Mr  Mackenzie,  that  I  wish 
all  your  meetings  and  resolutions,  etc.,  would  go  further,  and 
tell  us  what  are  we  to  do.  I  would  forbid  the  right  of 
criticism,  for  my  part,  except  when  accompanied  by  practical 
suggestion."  "Well,  Sir,  the  meetings  which  I  attended 
always  gave  practical  suggestions.  In  the  first  place,  it  was 
suggested  that  the  Convention  should  be  more  stringently 
applied,  since  it  became  known  that  a  number  of  these  men 


AS  POLITICAL  EDUCATOR  269 


were  in  Bechuanaland  ;  the  Directors  suggest  that  Her 
Majesty's  Government  and  the  Cape  Colony  should  combine 
to  establish  order  there.  These  are  practical  suggestions." 
"  But  do  you  mean  that  we  should  march  an  army  thro' 
the  Transvaal  for  the  purpose  ?  "  "  No — nothing  so  extreme  ; 
something  much  more  practical.  The  Cape  Colony  naturally 
dislikes  taking  the  lead.  That  is  the  position  of  this  Govern- 
ment. But  if  Her  Majesty's  Government  would  take  the 
lead  in  co-operation  with  the  Cape  Colony,  they  might  enlist 
men  at  the  Fields,  or  find  the  Border  Police  already  on  the 
Border  enough  for  their  purpose."  He  was  silent — appar- 
ently interested.  "  I  don't  underrate  the  difficulties  of  the 
Government.  I  wish,  as  far  as  local  knowledge  goes,  to 
assist  as  far  as  I  can.  In  this  country  I  have  never  '  pitched 
into  '  the  Transvaal  at  any  public  meeting,  but  have  always 
taken  the  utmost  care  as  to  what  I  said.  But  when  I  am  put 
up  before  a  public  meeting  and  asked  to  tell  the  people 
about  Bechuanaland,  I  must  say  something.  In  a  small 
way,  you  can  see  that  I  have  my  difficulty  too."  "  Oh,  yes, 
I  can  see  that.  Well,  I  should  like  you  to  read  the  Blue- 
book  which  will  be  out  to-morrow.  Come  again  and  have 
a  talk  after  you  have  done  so.  Tell  me  then  what  you  think 
we  ought  to  do  there." 

Excuse  haste  in  ending.    Ladies'  meeting  on. 

J.  M. 

A  letter  to  his  wife,  dated  December  5  th,  gives  still 
another  further  glimpse  into  the  alertness  with  which 
he  seized  every  opportunity  and  used  every  instru- 
ment that  seemed  available. 

12  Queen  Square, 
^th  Dec.  1882. 

Dearest, — I  got  your  welcome  letter  this  morning  enclos- 
ing William  Walker's.  .  .  . 

I  can't  get  at  my  article.  I  have  written  two  for  Christian 
World  and  Independent^  which  they  may  or  may  not  accept 
of.  There  is  given  in  the  Blue-book  a  very  striking  article 
from  the  Cape  Volksblad  strongly  upbraiding  the  Transvaal 
Boers  with  their  criminality  and  foolishness  in  reference  to 
the  Western  Border.  "  Don't  you  see  that  you  are  alienat- 
ing from  yourselves  the  respect  of  the  very  people  in  England 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


who  may  be  said  to  have  given  to  you  your  self-government  ? 
They  insisted  upon  your  getting  your  rights.  Depend  on  it, 
they  will  insist  with  equal  force  on  the  natives  getting  theirs." 
It  is  a  great  gratification  to  me  to  see  this  leader.  It  estab- 
lishes my  position  with  Lord  Kimberley  as  to  the  two  classes 
of  Boers.  There  has  been  much  done  since  we  reached  Cape 
Town.  The  Blue-book  shows  that.  Sir  Hercules  Robin- 
son's despatches  are  very  strong.  It  was  he  who  sent 
home  the  leader  from  Cape  paper  for  Lord  Kimberley's 
information.  The  Transvaal  stands  discredited  in  this  latest 
Blue-book. 

But  I  don't  want  the  Boers  interfered  with  in  the  Trans- 
vaal. Let  them  govern  themselves,  if  only  we  could  get 
some  kind  of  hopeful  government  for  Bechuanaland. 

Mr  Morley  yesterday  enclosed  a  letter  from  Mr  Froude 
stating  his  opinions,  and  saying  that,  such  being  his 
opinions,  I  may  not  think  it  worth  while  to  call,  but  if 
I  do  call,  he  assures  me  it  will  give  him  much  pleasure 
to  go  over  the  matter  with  me.  I  shall  call  to-morrow. 
In  the  meantime,  for  the  fun  of  the  thing,  as  Mr  Morley 
asked  me  to  return  F.'s  letter,  I  have  done  so  with  the 
"  other  side  "  as  to  every  statement  which  he  makes,  in  short 
compass. 

All  the  resolutions  from  Birmingham,  Bristol,  etc.,  are 
given  in  this  Blue-book.  There  is  no  shutting  our  eye  to 
the  fact  that  much  has  been  done.  I  sometimes  think  a 
more  rabid  and  unscrupulous  man  might  have  lashed 
up  public  opinion  sooner — telling  all  the  atrocities,  etc.; 
but  such  spasms  do  little  good;  at  any  rate,  I  could  not 
do  it.  People  ought  to  be  convinced,  so  as  that  they 
can  continue  to  uphold  their  views  to-morrow  and  the  day 
after. 

I  sent  a  copy  of  pamphlet  to  Sir  Bartle  Frere.  Letter  from 
Miss  Frere  in  a  day  or  two  to  say  that  her  father  would  be 
very  glad  to  see  me  at  lunch  some  Saturday,  and  would 
Saturday  next  suit?  So  I  have  written  to  say  I  shall  be 
most  happy,  etc.  Lord  Carnarvon  writes  from  some  Castle 
in  Wales  to  say  he  has  perused  with  much  interest,  etc. 
An  acknowledgment  also  from  Lord  Shaftesbury — Ashley's 
father — and  he  says  he  will  give  it  his  *' early  attention." 
However,  I  must  go  at  this  article  now.  And  I  am  going 
down  to  the  Mission-House  to-day  to  stir  them  up  about  the 
circulation  of  the  pamphlet. 


AS  POLITICAL  EDUCATOR  271 

When  am  I  coming  home  ?  Don't  know.  Can't  say. 
Wish  I  were  there.  Feel  strongly  incHned  to  put  in  a 
sort  of  "  To  be  continued " ;  but  have  not  got  to  that 
stage  yet. 

Very  much  love  to  you  and  to  all.  J.  M. 

The  Christmas  of  1882  Mackenzie  spent  with  his 
family  at  Portobello,  and  worked  from  there  for  the 
first  few  weeks  of  the  New  Year.  He  maintained  his 
battle  with  unrelaxing  courage.  Not  without  some 
sickness  of  heart  indeed  ;  for  he  could  not  learn 
to  look  with  inward  indifference  upon  the  policy  of 
those  who  were  most  actively  opposed  to  him. 
"  However,"  he  says  in  one  letter  to  his  wife,  "  I  am 
tried  somewhat  to-day,  and  the  selfish  worldliness  of 
the  other  side — the  '  For  Ourselves '  style  of  the 
thing  —  is  saddening."  It  always  seemed  to  him 
that  the  policy  of  withdrawal  from  South  Africa  was 
dictated,  partly  by  a  certain  pessimism  regarding  the 
continued  power  of  Great  Britain  to  carry  its  enormous 
load  of  Imperial  responsibility,  and  partly  by  a  certain 
'  doctrinaire  '  attitude  of  mind  which  applied  the  abstract 
theory  of  national  freedom  to  the  Dutch  in  South 
Africa  without  a  careful  scrutiny  of  the  facts  concern- 
ing the  rights  of  other  races,  black  and  white,  in  the 
states,  colonies,  and  dependencies  of  that  region. 
Africa  had  cost  a  great  deal  and  paid  back  little ; 
therefore  let  Africa  go — that  cry  he  met.  The  Dutch 
wanted  to  be  free,  therefore  give  them  their  freedom, 
more  of  it,  if  they  want  more — that  cry  also  he 
heard.  Great  Britain  had  enough  to  do  elsewhere, 
and  ought  in  any  case  to  confine  her  attention  to 
her  own  home  interests,  which  must  be  neglected 
by  the  bestowal  of  so  much  time  upon  the  rest 
of  the  world — even  that  cry  also  met  him.  And 
Mackenzie,  who  had  spent  twenty  years  of  brooding 
in  South  Africa  upon  the  might  of  the  British  Empire, 
the  high  integrity  of  her  officers,  the  brilliant  genius 


272 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


for  administration  displayed  by  them  in  India  and 
elsewhere,  who  had  worked  out  a  broad  plan  by 
which  South  Africa  might  without  war  and  with  a 
minimum  of  Imperial  expenditure  be  built  up  into  a 
great  Commonwealth  or  Dominion,  faced  these  cries 
with  that  mingled  courage  and  grief  which  comes,  not 
from  shallow  optimism,  but  from  a  hard-won  faith,  to 
the  defence  of  a  great  cause. 

About  the  end  of  January  he  received  a  letter  from 
Mankoroane,  the  chief  at  Taungs,  in  which  the  latter 
stated  the  grievous  condition  into  which  he  and  his 
tribe  were  being  brought  by  the  inroads  of  the  Boers, 
and  pleading  with  Mackenzie  most  piteously  for  his 
intercession. 

Speak  for  me  to  the  English  people  and  to  the  Govern- 
ment of  the  Queen.  So  far  as  I  know  I  am  suffering  all  this 
because  I  said,  "I  belong  to  the  Queen."  It  is  well  known 
that,  during  the  war  between  the  English  and  the  Boers,  I 
received  and  protected  the  Queen's  people  who  had  fled 
from  the  Transvaal.  My  Teacher,  all  my  confidence  is 
still  in  the  Queen's  Government.  Plead  for  me !  Help 
me !  If  the  Government  does  not  help  me,  I  am  de- 
stroyed. ...  If  they  delay  to  think  of  me  I  shall  have 
passed  away. 

Mackenzie  at  once  communicated  the  contents  of 
this  letter  to  the  Earl  of  Derby  who  had  just  suc- 
ceeded Lord  Kimberley  as  Secretary  of  State  for  the 
Colonies.  He  also  proceeded  to  write  a  pamphlet, 
entitled  "  Bechuanaland,  The  Transvaal,  and  England," 
to  which  he  appended  the  letter  from  Mankoroane. 
In  this  pamphlet  he  described  the  situation  from  the 
point  of  view  of  Bechuanaland.  He  first  sketched 
what  England  had  done  for  the  natives  religiously  and 
educationally,  and  stated  some  of  the  results  in  their 
improved  social  position  ;  then  he  described  the  active 
relations   in  which  England  stood  to  Bechuanaland 


AS  POLITICAL  EDUCATOR 


273 


from  1878  to  I  88  I.  When  England  deserted  them  the 
chiefs  were  left  powerless,  their  tribes  disorganised  and 
left  to  the  tender  mercies  of  land-agents  and  secretaries, 
and  Boer  "  freebooters."  Lastly,  an  account  was  given 
very  frankly  and  yet  not  passionately,  and  without 
invective,  of  the  part  which  the  Transvaal  was  then 
playing  in  Bechuanaland.  Their  conduct  was  con- 
trasted with  that  of  the  Cape  Colony  and  the  Orange 
Free  State. 

It  is  now  for  the  English  public  and  for  English  legis- 
lators to  compare  their  former  ideas  of  the  Boers,  as  men 
who  were  nobly  longing  for  freedom,  with  the  careful  terms 
of  the  Pretoria  Convention  as  to  the  protection  of  the  natives, 
with  the  advice  and  warning  of  the  Royal  Commissioner  at 
Pretoria,  1881,  given  through  its  President,  and  with  the 
disgraceful  wars  and  raids  in  Bechuanaland  which  have  pre- 
vailed for  more  than  a  year. 

In  the  month  of  February  Mackenzie  began  to  draw 
encouragement  from  the  attitude  of  Lord  Derby. 
He  writes  on  February  23  rd  to  his  eldest 
son  : — 

Did  you  notice  Derby's  speech  ?  Hopeful  between  the 
lines.    Protection  is  not  scouted,  as  Kimberley  scouted  it. 

He  also  felt  himself  surer  now  in  expounding  and 
defending  his  own  policy.  The  natural  hesitancy  and 
even  diffidence  which  he  felt  when  he  first  began  this 
work  were  giving  way  under  the  experience  of  his 
success  in  persuading  others  to  a  reasonable  confidence 
in  his  ideas.     In  the  same  letter  he  says, 

I  am  certain  of  my  ground  now,  I  mean  the  policy  I 
propose.  I  have  fought  it  out  with  some  tough  customers 
here ;  and  last  Saturday  night  witnessed  my  first  conversion, 
quite  a  startling  one  too. 

On  April  27th,  1883,  Mackenzie  celebrated  his 
silver  wedding  by  attending  that  of  his  eldest  son 

s 


274  JOHN  MACKENZIE 


in  Upperby  Parish  Church,  near  Carlisle.  In  a 
letter  written  next  day  to  his  new  daughter,  with  a 
playfulness  and  a  depth  of  feeling  which  he  knew  so 
well  how  to  mingle,  he  pretended  that  she  had  neither 
seen  nor  appreciated  the  various  wedding  scenes,  and 
proceeded  to  describe  them  to  her.  He  recounted  a 
few  characteristic  words  which  he  had  uttered  at  the 
breakfast,  which,  as  being  autobiographical,  have  a 
place  here. 

Do  you  know  what  I  said  when  thanking  them  for  drinking 
my  health  ?  It  was  this  :  That  my  son  and  daughter-in-law 
would  work  out  their  own  day's  work  as  everyone  should, 
according  to  their  own  ability ;  but  that,  as  far  as  happiness 
was  concerned,  I  could  not  wish  for  them  greater  or  truer 
than  by  praying  that  their  conjugal  life  might  be  as 
happy  as  my  own  had  been  for  twenty-five  years.  This 
means  that  you  may  do  more,  fill  higher  places,  and  so 
on,  but  that  I  cannot  conceive  of  your  being  more  to  one 
another 

In  May  1883  Mackenzie  had  the  satisfaction  of 
addressing  the  British  public  through  the  pages  of 
the  Nmeteetith  Ceiitury.  His  article  was  entitled 
"  England  and  South  Africa,"  and  it  extended  to 
thirty-one  pages.  It  was  divided  into  five  sections, 
in  which  a  rapid  and  concise  account  was  given  of 
the  leading  historical  facts  and  the  main  political 
features  of  South  African  history  since  the  purchase 
of  Cape  Colony  from  Holland  in  the  beginning  of 
the  last  century. 

Section  I.  discussed  "  England  and  the  Cape  Colony ; 
Europeans."  The  social  and  educational  progress  of  the 
colonists  was  described,  and  it  was  shown  that :  "  Found  in 
degrading  bondage  to  a  commercial  company,  from  whose 
authority  part  of  the  population  were  in  actual  rebellion,  the 
European  inhabitants  of  the  Cape  Colony  have  enjoyed  a 
period  of  increasing  prosperity  under  the  government  of 
England,"    Section  II.  was  on  "  England  and  the  Cape 


AS  POLITICAL  EDUCATOR  275 


Colony ;  Natives."  It  sought  to  bring  out  "  the  two-fold 
aspect  of  the  question,  the  effect  of  our  policy  on  the 
natives  themselves,  and  the  reflex  result  on  the  European 
colonists."  The  facts  connected  with  serfdom,  slavery,  and 
emancipation,  were  recounted.  Nowhere  have  more  bene- 
ficial results  followed  to  both  masters  and  slaves  from 
emancipation  than  in  South  Africa.  Even  from  the  point 
of  view  of  deliverance  from  the  practice  of  slavery  with 
the  wrongs  and  wars  it  would  engender,  the  blessings 
conferred  on  the  European  population  in  South  Africa  by 
their  connection  with  England  have  fully  equalled  those 
conferred  by  that  power  on  the  native  African  races. 
Section  III.  passed  to  "Our  Border  Policy  in  South 
Africa."  The  principal  lesson  of  this  section  was  that 
there  had  been  no  border  policy.  Uncertainty  and 
vacillation,  rather  than  a  mastery  of  the  subject,  char- 
acterized the  attitude  and  action  of  Britain  throughout  the 
century.  With  great  force  this  conclusion  was  driven  home 
by  instance  after  instance,  ending  with  the  ever  shameful 
treatment  of  the  Bechuanaland  chiefs  and  their  tribes. 
"Thus  a  people  begs  for  our  help  in  the  establishment 
of  good  government;  they  agree  to  submit  to  us,  and 
to  pay  the  necessary  taxes.  We  turn  a  deaf  ear  to  them, 
and  see  them  shot  down  by  irresponsible  filibusters,  whose 
base  of  operation  is  a  country  of  which  we  have  the 
sovereignty  ! "  In  Section  IV.,  "  Northward,"  the  irre- 
sistible movement  of  Europeans  was  set  forth.  "There 
are  reasons  for  it  deeper  than  political  ones ;  it  is  a 
movement  which  can  be  counted  on  and  legislated  for, 
but  not  arrested.  In  America  those  who  move  westward 
never  think  of  severing  their  connection  with  the  East ; 
and  if  they  did  think  of  it,  the  United  States  Govern- 
ment would  insist  that  there  should  be  no  such  separation. 
England  unfortunately  has  never  recognized  this  northern 
movement  as  a  fact  in  South  African  history."  This 
movement  is  then  sketched  to  show  on  the  one  hand  how- 
steady  it  has  been,  and  how  our  zigzag  ways  of  dealing 
with  South  African  affairs  led  to  the  dangers,  disasters, 
irritations  and  disgraces,  of  that  which  should  have  been 
controlled  by  the  Central  Power  from  first  to  last. 

Thus  the  writer  was  brought  to  his  last  Section  V.  "  The 
Lessons  of  the  Past ;  Our  Future  South  African  Policy."  The 


276 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


policy  is  based  on  the  assumption  that  "  England  will  not 
retire  from  South  Africa,  but  will  retain  her  position  as  the 
Central  or  Supreme  Power  having,  as  hitherto,  the  native 
policy  in  her  own  hands."  (i)  The  first  step  would  be  the 
selection  of  one  head  ...  we  may  call  him  Governor- 
General.  The  Governor  of  the  Cape  Colony  would  exercise 
that  office  and  nothing  more,  and  so  in  the  case  of  Natal. 
(2)  The  Cape  Colony  would  be  relieved  of  its  burdensome 
task  in  managing  such  outlying  territories  as  Basutoland, 
Transkei,  Griqualand  East,  etc.  The  Colony  would  con- 
tribute its  quota  towards  defraying  the  expense  of  upholding 
the  peace  of  its  borders.  It  would  have  enough  to  do  with 
a  large  native  population  within  its  borders.  Responsible 
government  would  then  have  a  fair  trial  at  the  Cape,  which  it 
has  not  had  hitherto.  The  native  territories  would  be 
placed  under  administrators,  each  in  direct  correspondence 
with  the  Governor-General  and  magistrates,  assisted  in  certain 
cases  by  native  chiefs  as  assessors.  Under  this  provisional 
or  territorial  government,  taxes  would  be  raised  to  defray 
local  expenditures,  and  territorial  law  would  be  adminis- 
tered. Each  territory  would  be  expected  to  pay  its  own  way 
and  to  contribute  towards  the  central  government.  .  .  . 
The  native  territories  would  pass  through  this  stage  to  the 
higher  grade  of  Colonial  Government,  which  would  be 
reached  when  Education  had  made  some  progress  and  the 
people  had  become  familiar  with  civilized  procedure  as 
to  deeds,  titles,  etc.  Under  territorial  law,  for  their  pro- 
tection, natives  would  not  be  allowed  to  sell  land  ;  which 
would  inflict  no  wrong,  inasmuch  as  that  is  their  tribal  law 
already. 

Of  course  this  plan  meant  annexation.  Any  satisfactory 
solution  of  South  African  difficulties  must  take  into  account 
the  northward  movement  of  Europeans.  This  movement 
is  itself  the  annexing  or  aggressive  force  ;  our  scheme  seeks 
to  control  it ;  and  its  tendency  would,  on  the  whole,  be  to 
curb  rather  than  to  stimulate  forward  tendencies.  The 
present  proposal  introduces  no  change  in  our  relations  to 
any  colony  or  state  in  South  Africa.  They  would  deal  with 
a  Governor-General  of  South  Africa  instead  of  with  a  High 
Commissioner,  who  was  also  a  local  governor.  In  such  a 
scheme  as  that  now  sketched,  there  would  be  the  true 
nucleus  of  a  United  South  Africa,    Gradually  there  would 


AS  POLITICAL  EDUCATOR  277 


grow  a  general  council  or  parliament  representing  all  colonies 
and  states,  and  assisting  the  Governor-General  in  the  manage- 
ment of  the  general  affairs  of  the  country.  At  present  we 
have  mere  disjecta  me7?ibra  in  the  South  African  body 
politic,  the  head  being  one  of  the  disjoined  parts.  He 
concluded  with  the  confident  belief  that  when  England 
establishes  some  such  government  as  that  which  we  have 
here  imperfectly  sketched,  she  will  at  length  have  solved  the 
problem  of  governing  Europeans  and  Africans  in  mutual 
helpfulness. 

Before  the  appearance  of  this  article,  and  in  refer- 
ence to  it,  Mackenzie  wrote  a  letter  to  Dr  Dale  from 
v^hich  the  following  extracts  may  be  made. 

12  Queen  Square,  Bloomsbury, 
London,  2Zth  March  1883. 

My  Dear  Dr  Dale, — My  article  suggests  the  doing 
with  the  right  hand  what  England  has  done  left-handedly 
and  with  much  irritation  in  the  past. 

I  believe  you  have  the  choice  of  adopting  some  such 
general  line  of  South  African  policy  !  or  leave  the  country 
(practically)  and  see  one  race-war  after  another  till  the  blacks 
are — in  the  language  of  one  of  your  leading  men  of  to-day — 
"  where  the  Choctaw  Indians  are." 

I  have  met  with  great  personal  kindness  from  Mr  John 
Morley,  to  whom  indeed  I  owe  the  introduction  to  Mr 
Knowles  of  the  Nineteenth  Century.  But  his  late  speech  and 
his  recent  articles  are  to  me  very  sad.  They  mean  the  total 
relinquishment  of  duties  and  responsibilities  in  South  Africa. 
They  mean  nothing  else.  If  we  were  deciding  whether  or 
not  we  should  go  there,  they  would  be  in  place.  I  consider 
there  is  a  deadly  shrinking  from  fact  and  duty  and  obligation, 
which,  as  a  factor  in  politics,  does  not  augur  well  for  the 
prosperity  of  the  country  in  which  such  views  come  to  the 
front.  "For  ourselves"  would  seem  to  be  the  motto  of 
this  kind  of  writing  and  speaking.  But  who  are  "  our- 
selves "  ? 

"  I  know  we  signed  something  but  we  never  meant  to 
keep  to  it,  and  we  won't  either,"  said  a  gentleman  to  me,  when 


2/8 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


speaking  of  the  Pretoria  Convention.  "  Then,"  I  said, 
"  you  will  forgive  me  for  saying  it ;  but  you  are  a  bad 
lot." 

Only  one  man  of  all  I  have  met  with  has  spoken  out  such 
unmitigated  falseness  as  that.  It  is  however,  at  the  bottom 
of  the  whole  attitude  of  the  government  at  present.  I  am 
no  partizan. 


CHAPTER  XI 


ENGLAND  THE  TRANSVAAL  DELEGATES  AND  THE 

LONDON  CONVENTION  (1883,  1 884) 

Much  of  the  summer  of  1883  was  spent  by  Mac- 
kenzie in  Scotland.  In  the  earlier  months  he  was 
engaged  in  "  deputation  work  "  on  behalf  of  the 
London  Missionary  Society,  which  took  him  through 
part  of  Aberdeenshire.  He  was  also  busy  with  the 
production  of  his  little  book  entitled  "  Day-Dawn  in 
Dark  Places "  which  the  Directors  of  the  Society 
had  asked  him  to  prepare  for  them.  It  was  to  be 
used  as  their  annual  gift-book  to  Sunday  School 
children  for  the  year  1884.  The  book  was  an 
account  of  his  missionary  life  and  work  in  South 
Africa,  and  hence  in  part  consisted  in  an  adaptation 
of  his  earlier  volume  "  Ten  Years  North  of  the  Orange 
River."  It  dealt  also  with  those  later  experiences  in 
Shoshong  and  Kuruman  which  as  yet  lay  buried  in 
the  archives  of  the  London  Missionary  Society.  The 
little  book  was  published  by  Cassell  and  Co.,  and 
had  a  large  circulation,  which  that  enterprising 
firm  extended  to  America.  For  the  holiday 
month  of  August  1883,  Mackenzie  took  a  cottage 
at  Hillside,  near  Montrose,  where  once  more  he  was 
able  to  see  all  his  children  gathered  together  at  one 
time. 

But  in  September  Mackenzie  was  in  London 
again,  preparing  for  the  fiercest  of  the  fight.  Ominous 
signs  of  a  hard  struggle  were  in  the  air.  It  had  be- 
come known  in  June  that  the  Transvaal  Government 

wished  to  send  a  deputation  to  England  to  deal  at 

279 


28o 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


close  quarters  with  Her  Majesty's  Government.  Lord 
Derby  very  readily  consented  to  receive  them,  but 
warned  them  that  the  Conference  could  not  take  place 
before  the  end  of  October.  In  the  month  of  Sep- 
tember, therefore,  Mackenzie  found  himself  in  at 
once  a  more  strenuous  contest  and  a  better  position 
to  carry  it  on.  The  visit  of  the  deputation  was  about 
to  hasten  the  decision  of  the  British  Government 
and  to  make  it  take  a  final  step — into  Bechuanaland 
to  remain  there,  or  out  of  it  for  ever !  But  just 
because  the  whole  matter  was  about  to  be  decided  the 
voice  of  the  best-informed  man  in  London,  perhaps 
anywhere,  on  this  specific  subject  acquired  a  public 
authority. 

The  delegates  were  sent  by  the  Transvaal  Govern- 
ment to  Europe,  in  the  first  place,  to  raise  a  loan.  The 
fact  is  that  the  wheels  of  State  were  beginning  to 
grind  heavily,  and  the  drivers  saw  themselves  sinking 
into  that  condition  of  bankruptcy  which  had  helped  to 
make  annexation  in  1877  seem  inevitable,  and  which 
would  have  made  history,  sooner  or  later,  repeat  itself, 
had  not  the  discovery  of  the  Witwaters  Rand  gold- 
fields  transformed  the  economic  situation.  In  relation 
to  Great  Britain  the  delegates  had  another  plan.  They 
determined  to  urge  that  the  Pretoria  Convention  had 
failed,  and  that  a  return  must  be  made  to  the  Sand 
River  Convention  of  1852  !  In  particular,  they  were 
prepared  to  make  four  demands  upon  Great  Britain. 
First,  that  the  name  "  South  African  Republic  "  should 
be  recognised  ;  second,  that  part  of  the  debt  to  Great 
Britain,  over  £2^0,000,  should  be  cancelled;  third, 
that  the  system  of  British  control  of  the  treatment 
of  natives  within  and  without  the  Transvaal,  of  which 
Mr  Gladstone  had  prophesied  so  triumphantly,  should 
be  abolished  ;  and  fourth,  that  the  Western  boundary 
of  the  Republic  should  be  carried  so  far  west  as  to 
include  all  Bechuanaland  within  its  limits. 


THE  LONDON  CONVENTION  281 


Mackenzie  was  alarmed  by  these  proposals.  With 
his  intimate  knowledge  of  Boer  feelings  and  ambitions, 
with  his  estimate  of  the  recently  formed  Afrikander 
Bond  and  its  future  influence  on  South  African  history, 
with  his  convictions  about  the  character  of  the  leaders 
of  the  Transvaal,  he  saw  that  the  real  substantial  ques- 
tion now  actually  raised  was  that  of  the  paramount 
power  in  South  Africa.  He  stood  almost  alone  in  this 
belief  at  first.  And  to  the  end  he  failed  fully  to  con- 
vince Lord  Derby,  or  even  Sir  Hercules  Robinson, 
who  was  happily  in  London  to  take  part  in  the  con- 
ference. But  the  subsequent  history  of  Transvaal 
ambitions  has  proved  that  he  was  right.  His  estimate 
of  the  situation  is  most  vigorously  expressed  in  a  letter 
to  Dr  Dale. 

PORTOBELLO,  22  Sept.  1 883. 

Dear  Dr  Dale, — I  hope  you  have  been  able  to  follow 
recent  South  African  events,  especially  those  connected  with 
the  Cape  Colony.  The  extreme  anti-English  party  in  the 
Cape  Parliament  has  been  shown  to  be  a  small  one.  There 
was  danger  at  one  time  that  their  hands  would  have  been 
strengthened  by  the  extreme  Hammer  and  Tongs  English 
party  at  the  Cape  ;  but  this  did  not  happen.  The  Scanlen 
Government  is  not  a  strong  one ;  but  on  the  Basutoland 
question  it  actually  secured  votes  from  those  adverse  to  its 
general  policy. 

There  would  have  been  universal  approval  of  the  Basuto- 
land policy  of  Mr  Scanlen's  Government,  if  anything  like 
confidence  had  been  felt  as  to  the  intentions  of  the  English 
Government.  Could  her  promise  be  trusted  to  ?  How  much 
must  be  discounted  from  what  she  promised ;  or  did  she 
promise  anything?  The  result  of  the  Basutoland  arrange- 
ment is  beginning  to  be  felt  in  that  country,  and  good  will 
appear  as  confidence  is  restored  to  men's  minds  by  the  action 
of  England. 

Now  the  Transvaal  envoys  are  on  their  way  to  this  country. 
What  is  the  question  which  they  come  to  decide  ?  Whether 
the  Transvaal  is  or  is  not  to  be  left  without  restraint,  and  if 
thus  left,  to  become  the  paramount  South  African  State.  It 


282 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


is  not  a  question  of  "  freedom,"  as  that  word  is  usually  under- 
stood ;  much  less  is  it  a  question  of  self-government.  It  is  a 
question  of  paramountcy.  Is  it  to  be  retained  by  England, 
with  and  for  the  Cape  Colony  and  the  more  civilized  South 
African  communities,  or  is  it  to  be  handed  to  the  Transvaal  ? 
The  Cape  Colony  appears  to  have  awoke  to  the  imminence 
of  the  peril  in  which  she  stands  of  being  shut  out  from  the 
trade  of  the  interior,  and  shut  out  from  the  great  possibilities 
connected  with  having  a  voice  in  the  settlement  of  the 
immense  unoccupied  and  beautiful  countries  to  the  north. 
But  the  attitude  of  England  is  surely  too  coldly  supine.  The 
men  who  would  be  glad  to  see  England  out  of  South  Africa 
altogether  are  having  it  all  their  own  way.  At  least  it  would 
seem  so.  An  intelligent  German,  well  acquainted  with  South 
Africa,  recently  said  to  a  friend  of  mine,  "  It  is  deplorable 
how  England  fritters  away  her  influence  for  good  in  South 
Africa." 

At  such  a  juncture  as  this  the  hands  of  the  government 
ought  to  be  strengthened  in  connection  with  the  Pretoria 
Convention.  What  has  failed  ?  Where  is  the  mistake  ? 
Where  is  the  Transvaal  wronged?  South  African  affairs 
need  a  head  ;  and  that  head  is  the  English  Government  in 
the  meantime — along  with  and,  perhaps,  to  be  succeeded  by, 
the  government  of  the  Cape.  Modify  the  Convention  if 
you  like  by  removing  internal  interference  in  Transvaal  (I 
say  this  reluctlantly,  but  to  gain  a  point) — if  you  are  to 
modify,  do  it  there ;  but  as  to  setting  the  Transvaal  free  and 
irresponsible,  and  undefined  as  to  its  borders,  it  would  be  a 
moral  wrong  for  England  to  do  it.  And  history  would  point 
to  the  action  as  an  illustration  of  cold-blooded  and  short- 
sighted selfishness. 

Now  I  want  to  ask  your  advice  as  to  what  ought 
to  be  done  in  this  most  important  matter?  The  Cape 
Colony  has  given  up  Basutoland — how  can  it  take  over 
Bechuanaland  ?  It  could  only  do  so  with  the  understand- 
ing that  England  assisted  the  colony  with  Bechuanaland  as 
with  Basutoland. 

The  Missionary  Society  lately  addressed  a  letter  to  Lord 
Derby  on  this  aspect  of  the  question.  His  reply  was,  that 
Her  Majesty's  Government  were  waiting  in  this  matter  the 
action  of  the  Cape  Government. 

My  position  is  that  with  a  Viceroy  (as  the  Spectator  called 
the  official  whom  it  also  recommends  for  South  Africa)  and 


THE  LONDON  COxWENTION  283 


a  central  government,  South  Africa  need  never  cost  England 
anything  in  money  or  men— -except  some  of  her  best  sons  as 
administrators  and  civil  servants. 

Now,  before  I  have  done,  just  consider  the  issues  that  are 
at  stake  just  now.  Who  is  to  be  supreme  in  South  Africa  ? 
What  sort  of  views  as  to  native  races  are  to  have  power  in 
the  future?  With  reference  to  the  London  ^Missionary 
Society,  is  it  to  expect  better  treatment  at  the  hands  of  the 
Transvaal  authorities  than  the  French  missionaries  met  with 
from  President  Burgers,  when  they  were  detained  as  prisoners 
and  then  sent  back  to  Basutoland,  on  the  occasion  of  their 
desiring  to  pass  through  the  Transvaal  to  reach  the  tribes 
beyond  ?  What  are  we  to  make  of  our  useful  Bechuana 
Mission  and  native  ministers  and  the  possibilities  of  our 
northward  work,  if  law  and  justice  retreat  from  the  country, 
and  might  is  left  to  assert  itself  as  right  ?  And  but  for  the 
attention  which  Bechuanaland  has  received  in  England — 
feeble  and  uncertain  as  that  has  been — where  would  our 
Mission  have  been  ?  Ask  the  ruins  at  Kolobeng,  at  Matebe. 
and  at  Moilwe's — the  stations  destroyed  by  the  Boers,  shortly 
after  the  signing  of  the  Sand  River  Convention.  England  is 
surely  interested  in  the  right  of  way  to  the  interior  of  South 
Africa,  so  that  peaceful  men,  whether  missionaries  or  traders, 
or  scientific  explorers,  should  have  a  free  right  of  way,  as 
they  have  had  from  the  native  chiefs. 

Now,  if  you  have  followed  me  thus  far,  I  think  you  will 
agree  that  there  is  a  case  for  the  attention  of  those  who  are 
better  known  than  I  am.  Please  to  think  over  the  matter, 
and  suggest  something  practical  and  something  worthy  of  the 
greatness  of  the  question. 

I  remember  in  May  last  you  seemed  to  have  mastered 

this  question.    I  hope  it  has  not  been  buried  under  later  and 

more  absorbing  questions.    But  if  it  has  been  covered,  it  is 

still  there  in  your  mind.    I  look  to  you  for  help  to  do  good 

in  a  far-reaching  way,  and  in  a  work  which  I  think  will  abide. 

I  shall  be  glad  to  hear  from  you. — Believe  me  to  be,  ever 

yours  sincerely,  t  -\f 

^  John  Mackenzie. 

Mackenzie  had  now  found  several  most  valuable 
allies  in  the  London  press.  The  editorship  of  the 
Pall  Mall  Gazette  had  passed  from  the  hands  of 
Mr  Morley  to  those  of  Mr  W.  T.  Stead,  who  proved 


284 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


himself  at  that  time  a  most  vigorous  and  useful 
propagator  of  true  Imperialism  in  South  Africa. 
One  of  the  papers  which  from  the  first  showed  a 
profound  grasp  of  South  African  affairs,  and  which 
has  maintained  its  first  clear  insight  through  all  the 
tumult  and  confusion  of  intervening  years,  was  the 
Spectator.  Mackenzie  had  no  direct  relations  with 
the  Spectator  beyond  having  met  Mr  R.  H.  Hutton 
and  Mr  Townsend,  but  was  ever  deeply  grateful  for 
its  sympathy  and  its  constancy.  Both  of  these  papers 
used  their  full  power  to  prevent  the  political  blunder, 
the  moral  disgrace,  which  the  Government  seemed 
not  unwilling  to  perpetrate  in  South  Africa.  The 
columns  of  the  Pall  Mall  were  used  by  Mackenzie 
frequently,  and  a  number  of  trenchant  editorials 
appeared  there  from  the  pen  of  Mr  Stead,  with  the 
result  that  people  were  thoroughly  aroused  to  see 
that  an  important  event  in  Great  Britain's  Imperial 
relations  was  about  to  occur. 

The  delegates,  soon  after  their  arrival,  committed 
the  error  of  publishing  boldly  a  statement  of  their 
claims,  and  supporting  it  with  what  professed  to  be  a 
history  of  their  relations  to  Bechuanaland.  They 
found,  to  their  astonishment,  that  opposition  to  their 
plans  had  been  already  unwittingly  prepared  by 
Mackenzie's  long  campaign  since  July  1882.  They 
also  found  their  curious  "  history  "  and  their  political 
claims  confronted  by  the  same  man,  with  an  accurate 
and  moderate  and  unanswerable  statement  of  the  real 
history  of  Bechuanaland,  and  with  a  sound  estimate 
of  their  real  ambitions.  They  had  friends,  of  course, 
such  as  Dr  G.  B.  Clark  and  others,  who  had  so  long, 
so  curiously,  acted  as  champions  of  the  Transvaal  ; 
and  these  tried  to  create  a  public  movement  favouring 
Mr  Kruger  and  his  companions.  They  failed  how- 
ever. Even  the  Lord  Mayor  of  London,  Sir  R.  N. 
Fowler,  M.P.,  who  was  a  member  of  the  South  African 


THE  LONDON  CONVENTION  285 


Committee,  and  a  student  at  first  hand  of  South 
African  affairs,  decHned  to  invite  them  to  a  Mansion 
House  banquet,  when  it  was  proposed  to  him  to  do 
so.  Shortly  after  their  arrival  Mackenzie  wrote  a 
letter  to  Mr  Stead,  from  which  the  following  may 
be  taken  : — 

It  is  commonly  supposed  it  is  "  freedom  "  which  the  dear 
Dutchmen  want.    I'll  tell  you  what  it  is. 

It  is  not  self-government ;  that  they  have  had,  and  have. 
There  has  been  no  real  interference  by  England  with  their 
internal  affairs  since  the  Convention. 

It  is  not  independence  (Hke  the  Free  State).  But,  in 
order  to  meet  them,  this  might  be  given  them,  and  Mr 
Hudson  removed  from  the  Transvaal,  and  Bechuanaland 
administered  by  Cape  Colony  and  England. 

But  what  they  want  is  the  supreme  political  position  in 
South  Africa,  to  be  the  empire  State  among  its  states,  the 
highway  into  the  interior,  to  have  native  policy  of  the  Future, 
etc.,  etc.,  all  in  their  hands. 

Now  if  England  is  out  of  the  country,  do  let  Cape  Colony 
come  to  the  front,  and  be  in  the  front.  Let  civilization  and 
intelligence  get  ahead  (as  to  influence)  of  dull  ignorance, 
prejudice  and  bounce. 

Why  does  not  Dr  Clark  work  for  the  independence  of 
Cape  Colony?  That  the  frontier  men  of  South  Africa 
should  be  independent  of  the  rest  of  the  Europeans  out 
there  is  what  every  true  friend  of  South  Africa  would  pro- 
test against.  It  is  impertinent  as  to  the  Cape  Colony  and 
Natal  that  Englishmen  in  London  should  work  for  the  Inde- 
pendence of  the  frontier  men  of  our  European  population  in 
South  Africa. 

At  the  same  time  they  would  have  been  none  the  worse  of 
the  Mayor's  wine. 

We  need  not  here  recount  the  story  of  that  long 
Conference  between  Lord  Derby,  assisted  by  Sir 
Hercules  Robinson,  the  High  Commissioner  for 
South  African  Affairs  on  the  one  hand,  and  these 
delegates  of  the  Transvaal,  President  Kruger,  the  Rev. 
S.  J.  du  Toit,  and  General  N.  J.  Smith,  on  the  other 


286 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


hand.  The  conference  was  carried  on  almost  ex- 
clusively in  writing.  The  first  pretension  of  the 
delegates  that  they  were  about  to  make  a  treaty 
with  Great  Britain  was  abruptly  turned  down  by 
Derby,  who  defined  the  difference  between  a  treaty 
and  a  convention.  The  convention  was  an  agree- 
ment under  which  Her  Majesty  conferred  upon 
certain  people  who  had  been  formerly  her  subjects 
the  power  of  self-government,  on  certain  conditions. 
With  great  ease  the  delegates  found  themselves 
receiving — handed  over  to  them  with  the  proverbial 
hauteur  and  uncalculating,  and  therefore  ignorant, 
self-complacency  attributed  to  the  typical  English- 
man— three  of  their  four  great  boons.  A  large 
part  of  their  debt  was  remitted  ;  the  British  control 
over  the  Transvaal's  treatment  of  its  native  popula- 
tion— Mr  Gladstone's  prophetic  dream  notwithstand- 
ing— was  withdrawn  ;  the  Transvaal  was  formally 
recognised  as  "  The  South  African  Republic."  There 
can  be  no  doubt  now  that  Lord  Derby  went  too 
far,  that  in  making  the  last  two  concessions  he  put 
actual  and  immeasurable  power  into  the  hands  of 
what  was,  at  heart,  a  hostile  power,  and  that  he  gave 
the  Transvaal  an  international  standing.  This  inter- 
national standing  was  of  course  further  confirmed  and 
dignified,  when  to  these  he  added  yet  another  boon, 
that  of  making  treaties,  with  only  the  right  of  veto 
reserved  to  the  Queen.  Mackenzie  saw  with  deep 
sadness  the  gradual  investment  of  the  "  Frontier 
Boers "  with  such  power  and  prestige  ;  he  saw  the 
day  of  the  Boer's  hope  dawning.  For,  as  his  letters 
have  shown,  he  already  knew  that  the  deep  design 
of  Mr  Kruger  was  to  make  the  South  African 
Republic  the  paramount  power  in  South  Africa. 
Very  few  were  the  men  whom  he  could  convince  oi 
this  as  a  living  policy,  and  a  living  danger ;  and, 
alas  !  none  of  these  was  in  the  Colonial  Office. 


THE  LONDON  CONVENTION  287 


There  remained  the  one  greatest  desire  of  the 
Transvaal  heart,  namely,  the  extension  of  their  western 
border  over  Bechuanaland.  What  they  said  alike 
before,  at,  and  after  the  London  Conference  shows 
how  far  they  saw  into  the  future.  They  knew  that 
this  alone  would  settle  the  question  of  paramountcy 
in  South  Africa.  The  other  concessions  would  help 
them  wonderfully  towards  the  fulfilment  of  their 
racial  dream  ;  but  without  this,  those  others  might 
prove  futile ;  with  this,  they  would  certainly  make 
the  Transvaal  supreme.  It  was  the  discussion  of  this 
matter,  the  fate  of  Bechuanaland,  and  in  that  the 
fate  of  the  British  Empire  in  South  Africa,  which 
prolonged  the  Conference  from  the  beginning 
of  November  1883  to  the  middle  of  February 
1884. 

A  few  men  in  Cape  Colony  and  England  had 
already  begun  to  appreciate  the  far-reaching  im- 
portance of  this  Boer  movement  westwards,  such  as 
Mr  Cecil  Rhodes  and  Sir  Thomas  Scanlen  at  the 
Cape,  Mr  W.  E.  Forster,  Sir  T.  F.  Burton,  Earl  Grey, 
Sir  Bartle  Frere  and  others  at  home.  Mr  Rhodes, 
indeed,  proposed  a  motion  in  the  Cape  Parliament 
requesting  the  British  Government  "  in  the  interests 
of  the  Colony  to  appoint  a  Resident  with  the  Chief 
Mankoroane."  This  was  mild  enough  surely  ;  but  it 
was  lost.  The  Africander  Bond,  whose  rallying  cry 
was  "  Africa  for  the  Africanders,"  and  whose  member- 
ship included  the  leading  Dutchmen  in  the  Transvaal, 
Orange  Free  State,  and  Cape  Colony,  was  now  organised 
and  its  momentous  history  had  begun.  As  an  im- 
mediate result,  the  racial  elements  in  the  Cape  Parlia- 
ment were  being  rapidly  changed,  and  Mr  Hofmeyr 
had  opened  his  career  as  the  Bond  leader  without 
whom  no  Cape  politician  might  hope  to  gain  or  to 
hold  for  long  the  office  of  Prime  Minister.  So  strong 
had  the  current  already  set  in  against  British  "  inter- 


288  JOHN  MACKENZIE 


ference,"  that  a  certain  well-known  member  of  the 
Cape  Parliament — an  Englishman — refused  to  present 
a  petition  which  proposed  to  keep  the  trade  route  into 
the  interior  open,  because  the  petition  affirmed  that 
England  ought  to  be  the  paramount  power  north  of 
Griqualand  West ! 

It  seemed  at  one  time  as  if  Mackenzie  might  have 
a  direct  and  official  position  in  the  Conference.  For 
Mankoroane,  the  chief  whose  territories  lay  nearest 
to  Cape  Colony,  who  had  been  very  true  to  Great 
Britain  and  had  suffered  for  his  loyalty,  and  whose 
land  was  now  being  seized  by  inhabitants  of  the 
Transvaal,  claimed  the  right  to  be  present  at  the 
Conference.  He  began  his  journey  and  reached  Cape 
Town,  when  he  was  informed  that  he  should  go  no 
further.  He  then  asked  that  Mackenzie  be  allowed 
to  act  as  his  official  representative.  This  also  Lord 
Derby  refused,  but  he  wrote  to  Mackenzie  to  say  that 
all  information  which  the  latter  might  have  regarding 
Mankoroane  and  his  rights  would  be  received  and 
carefully  considered  in  the  course  of  the  Conference. 
In  this  way  Mackenzie  was  put  in  a  position  of  actual, 
though  unofficial,  power.  As  the  Conference  was 
carried  on  almost  entirely  by  the  exchange  of  docu- 
ments and  letters,  and  by  private  and  personal  inter- 
views, Mackenzie,  to  whom  those  avenues  were  thus 
fully  opened,  had  a  very  real  place  in  the  Conference. 
His  conversations  with  Sir  Hercules  Robinson,  Sir 
Robert  Herbert  and  others  at  the  Colonial  Office 
were  very  frequent.  Every  new  proposal  by  the 
delegates,  every  argument  which  they  made,  every 
historical  assertion  which  they  risked,  was  submitted 
to  Mackenzie  for  his  criticism.  He  used  his  oppo- 
tunity,  not  merely  to  deal  with  the  claims  of  the 
Transvaal,  but,  as  these  were  successfully  rebutted, 
with  the  new  position  in  which  the  rebuttal  of  those 
claims  put  Great  Britain.     That  Government,  it  was 


THE  LONDON  CONVENTION  289 


plain,  must  do  much  more  than  waive  aside  the  pro- 
posals of  the  Transvaal  ;  it  must  say  what  was  to  be 
done  with,  and  what  was  to  become  of,  the  native 
tribes  whose  territory  was  now  being  "  eaten  up  "  by 
the  Boers.  You  do  not  dam  back  a  flowing  tide  by 
drawing  an  imaginary  line  and  forbidding  its  advances, 
nor  would  you  stop  the  unrighteous  and  murderous 
annexation  of  Bechuanaland  by  Boers  from  the  Trans- 
vaal, by  drawing  a  line  on  maps  in  London  and 
having  it  "  ratified "  at  Pretoria.  The  only  possible 
plan  was  British  action  instead  of  Transvaal  action. 
The  trade  route  could  only  be  kept  open  through  the 
actual  occupation  of  the  country  by  those  for  whom 
it  was  to  be  open. 

In  the  beginning  of  December  Mackenzie  sent  in  to 
Lord  Derby  a  memorandum  describing  the  kind  of 
government  which  Great  Britain  could,  and  ought  to, 
adopt  in  Bechuanaland.  It  was  his  old  well-pondered 
system  of  territorial  government,  which  had  capti- 
vated Sir  Bartle  Frere,  and  convinced  other  wide- 
viewed  men.  To  his  great  joy.  Lord  Derby  confessed 
himself  impressed  by  it.  "  A  policy,  such  as  you  have 
indicated,  would  doubtless,  if  firmly  and  judiciously 
carried  out,  avert  many  difficulties  and  dangers." 
That  marked  a  great  advance  upon  the  attitude  which 
Lord  Derby  had  himself  taken  less  than  a  year  before, 
when  the  same  principles  were  submitted  by  Mackenzie 
for  his  consideration.  Lord  Derby  made  British 
action  depend  upon  the  action  of  the  colonies  and 
states  of  South  Africa.  It  was  his  view  that  such  a 
scheme  could  only  be  carried  out  by  them.  This 
visionary  notion  was  characteristic  of  the  British 
statesman's  knowledge,  and  his  theorising  about 
South  Africa.  No  one  who  knew  South  Africa  could 
possibly  consider  it  as  possible  that  the  colonies  and 
states  would  combine,  in  those  days,  to  carry  out  so 
broad  a  policy  of  native  territorial  government.  For 

T 


290  JOHN  MACKENZIE 


one  thing,  it  would  mean  the  complete  transformation 
of  the  Boer  spirit,  and  for  another  it  would  mean  that 
rival  states  and  colonies  should  at  once  unite  on 
purely  humanitarian  grounds,  upon  a  work  which  is 
the  most  difficult  in  South  Africa.  Mackenzie  was 
much  cheered  by  Derby's  letter,  notwithstanding  this 
restriction.  To  his  eldest  son  he  writes  of  it  as 
follows  : — 

II  Queen  Square 
{Undated.) 

Dear  Willie, — I  got  the  enclosed  last  night  before  going 
to  bed.  It  was  good  news.  I  caught  myself  singing  when 
dressing  this  morning,  which  I  have  not  felt  inclined  to  do 
for  some  time. 

When  you  remember  that  I  ask  no  new  responsibility,  and 
when  you  consider  the  attitude  of  the  Cape  Colony  asking 
for  what  Lord  Derby  says  he  is  inclined  to  grant  if  colonies 
and  states  agree  to  ask  it,  the  thing  is  most  gratifying.  God 
grant  that  nothing  go  wrong — no  ill-wind  blow  on  this 
decidedly  practical  and  masterful  attitude  of  Lord  Derby. 
It  is  personally  very  pleasing  to  me  to  get  his  commendation 
so  far  to  my  scheme. 

The  Contemporary  is  to  try  and  get  some  big  people 
to  endorse  my  view  in  the  Review^  perhaps  Sir  H.  Barkly 
and  Sir  B.  Frere. 

Do  pray  earnestly  that  this  tendency  in  the  right  direction 
may  be  strengthened  till  it  become  a  policy.  I  have  seen 
Mr  Scanlen,  and  showed  him  the  letter.  He  was  pleased. 
It  was  new  life  to  him.  I  told  him  he  must  look  up  my 
communication  and  see  if  he  approved  of  it,  in  which  case 
a  great  point  would  be  gained.  He  is  likely  to  do  so.  Sir 
H.  Robinson  does  so.    I  read  it  to  him  in  MS. 

Must  stop  to  catch  post.  Love  to  all  in  Portobello  and  in 
Montrose. — Your  affectionate  father. 

J.  M. 

Mackenzie  did  not  confine  his  agitation  during  the 
Conference  to  the  Colonial  Office  and  communications 
to  the  newspapers.  Knowing  the  value  of  public  meet- 
ings and  the  effect  upon  a  Government  of  resolutions 


THE  LONDON  CONVENTION  291 

from  important  and  representative  gatherings  all  over 
the  country,  he  continued  this  kind  of  work.  The  most 
important  of  all  the  gatherings  was  that  held  at  the 
Mansion  House,  London,  on  Tuesday,  November  27th, 
1883.  The  Egyptian  Hall  was  full  to  overflowing, 
and  the  "  platform  "  was  most  distinguished  as  well  as 
numerous.  It  was  held  under  the  auspices  of  the 
South  African  Committee,  whose  secretary,  Mr  F.  W. 
Chesson,  put  his  whole  heart  and  his  great  organising 
powers  into  the  effort.^  The  Lord  Mayor  (Sir  R.  N. 
Fowler)  occupied  the  chair.  The  principal  speeches 
were  delivered  by  the  Earl  of  Shaftesbury,  Mr  W.  E. 
Forster,  Rev.  John  Mackenzie,  Sir  Henry  Barkly  and 
Sir  Thomas  F.  Buxton.  Mr  Forster's  speech  was  long, 
but  full  of  fire,  and  produced  a  very  great  effect.  The 
speakers  all  dealt  mainly  with  the  following  points  : 
the  commercial  value  of  the  Bechuanaland  trade-route 
into  the  interior,  which  the  Hon.  R.  Southey,  former 
Lieutenant-Governor  of  Griqualand  West,  estimated  at 
one  million  pounds  sterling  per  annum  ;  the  rights  of 
the  Bechuanaland  tribes  and  the  obligations  of  Great 
Britain  towards  them  ;  the  policy  of  the  Transvaal 
towards  natives  and  the  virtual  slavery  so  long  prac- 
tised in  the  Transvaal.  Mackenzie's  own  speech  was 
very  well  received.  It  produced  such  an  effect  on  one 
great  man  that  he  (Lord  Shaftesbury),  in  shaking 
hands  with  Mackenzie  at  the  close  of  the  meeting, 
said  emphatically,  "  You  have  a  great  career  before 
you  ;  I'm  sure  you  have  a  great  career  before 
you."  On  the  night  of  that  meeting  Mackenzie  sat 
down  and  wrote  the  following  letter  to  his  eldest 
son,  which  throws  much  light  upon  his  work  at  this 
time  : — 

^  An  important  pamphlet  was  published  by  the  Aborigines  Protection 
Society  (1884),  entitled  "The  Bechuanas,  the  Cape  Colony,  and  the 
Transvaal,"  which  contained  a  good  report  of  the  speeches  at  the  meet- 
ing, besides  other  documents  of  importance  to  the  discussion. 


292 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


II  Queen  Square, 
i^th  Nov.  1883. 

My  Dear  Willie, — I  am  addressing  you  to-night,  as  I 
feel  it  is  indeed  a  long  time  since  we  interchanged  thoughts. 
I  have  just  come  home  from  handing  in  MS.  of  my  speech 
to  the  Tvnes.  Their  reporter  came  up  and  asked  if  I  would 
like  to  supply  it,  and  saying  how  much  space  they  could 
afford.  I  have  sent  much  more  than  he  said  in  the  hope 
that,  having  it  there  cut  and  dried,  he  will  let  it  go  in  and 
save  himself  trouble. 

Well,  the  meeting  has  been  a  marvellous  success,  to  use 
the  kind  of  expression  which  you  hear  on  such  subjects.  I 
came  far  short  of  my  own  idea  as  to  what  a  speech  ought  to 
be.  Lord  Shaftesbury  was  in  his  usual  vein,  and  was,  of 
course,  very  well  received.  Next  came  Mr  Forster.  You 
will  read  his  speech.  He  gave  it  them  hot  on  all  sides. 
You  can  have  no  idea  of  the  enthusiastic  reception  which  he 
met  with.  I  think  this  question  has  done  good  work  for  Mr 
Forster,  as  certainly  he  has  done  good  work  for  it.  You  know 
what  I  mean.  He  has  shown  those  points  as  a  politician 
which  English  people  dearly  love — fearless  rectitude  and 
strong  denunciation  of  mere  shiftiness.  The  people  were 
very  kind  and  appreciative  all  through.  I  was  quite  as- 
tonished at  the  heartiness  of  the  meeting.  I  was  very 
careful  in  what  I  said.  I  did  not  have  time,  however,  half 
to  go  over  the  ground  which  I  had  chalked  out,  as  others 
had  to  come  after  me,  and  Forster  took  a  frightfully  long 
time.  However,  I  said  some  of  the  things  I  wanted  to  say, 
but  omitted  how  many  !  I  am  assured  the  meeting  was  an 
unusually  enthusiastic  one — this  from  Londoners  ! 

Sir  Henry  Barkly  is  a  good  speaker.  It  was  opportune 
also  that  Hon.  R.  Southey,  the  first  Lieutenant-Governor 
of  Griqualand  West,  should  have  been  there  to  say  a  few 
words. 

The  Aberdeen  Free  Press  is  evidently  in  communication  with 
Dr  Clark,  the  Boer  advocate — if,  indeed,  he  is  not  writing 
for  it.  I  was  very  glad  and  thankful  for  that  leader  in  the 
Scotsmaji.    I  sent  it  to  the  Colonial  Office. 

I  had  the  impression  that  I  had  described  my  visit  to  Lord 
Derby ;  but  as  your  mother  asks  me  about  it  in  her  last,  I 
must  have  done  it  in  my  dreams  only. 

I  found  Lord  Derby  and  Sir  Evelyn  Ashley,  with  Sir 


THE  LONDON  CONVENTION  293 


Robert  Herbert,  the  Permanent  Secretary,  in  the  large  room 
— I  suppose.  Lord  Derby's.  They  had  just  been  glancing 
over  my  statement  in  behalf  of  Mankoroane.  Lord  Derby 
came  forward  and  very  courteously  met  me,  etc. — But  surely 
I  must  have  written  all  this  to  some  one. 

We  were  close  upon  an  hour  together.  What  did 
Mankoroane  want  ?  The  establishment  of  order  and 
government  in  his  country  by  England  or  failing  that, 
by  the  Cape  Colony. 

The  map  was  referred  to ;  places,  etc.,  pointed  out. 

Ashley.  But  Mankoroane  has  not  lost  any  of  his  good 
land,  only  his  outlying  hunting  veldt.  At  least,  I  said  so 
in  the  House  of  Commons,  and  no  one  contradicted  me. 

I.  I'm  afraid  your  inference  is  not  warranted.  I'm  afraid 
you  could  say  a  good  many  things  about  Bechuanaland  and 
not  be  contradicted  in  the  House  of  Commons. 

Derby  (laughing).  Very  true.    No  doubt  of  that. 

I  then  explained  what  he  had  lost,  and  how  the  people 
had  begun  to  live  at  their  farms  before  this  trouble,  so  that  it 
was  really  their  homes  which  had  been  broken  up. 

Ashley.  Why  don't  all  these  people  unite — they  are  so 
numerous — they  could  soon  settle  the  matter  themselves  ? 

I.  Well  I  should  be  glad  of  a  settlement,  but,  to  say  truth, 
I  should  not  be  glad  to  see  people  ranging  themselves  in  an 
hostile  attitude  in  South  Africa — blacks,  because  they  were 
blacks  ;  and  whites,  as  whites. 

Derby.  Very  true.  I  agree  with  you — it  would  be  a  bad 
thing.    How  would  you  do  this  ? 

I  then  sketched  how  I  thought  the  thing  might  be  done. 
Increase  (with  the  active  sanction  and  consent  of  the  Cape 
Colony)  the  Cape  Border  PoUce,  and  make  that  your  force 
for  all  practical  purposes  in  Bechuanaland.  You  must 
recognize  that  this  is  an  old  affair,  and  has  been  let  alone. 
Claims  to  land  held  by  white  men  might  turn  out  to  your 
Commissioner  to  be  valid.  In  my  opinion  the  Commissioner 
would  not  dirty  his  hands,  or  compromise  himself  by  dealing 
with  these  men.  All  that  has  been  done  already  by  the 
Government.  The  highest  morality  compels  me  to  say  they 
ought  all  to  be  cleared  out.  But  the  past  action  of  the 
Government  compels  me  to  make  the  above  suggestion  as 
the  only  one  feasible. 

I  should  have  European  magistrates,  under  a  Commissioner 
— but  territorial  as  distinguished  from  colonial  law,  etc.  I 


294 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


did  not  go  far  into  this.  But  I  think  I  shall  request  a  short 
talk  on  this  very  point  about  land ;  it  is  so  important,  and  my 
arrangement  is  so  unlike  everybody  else's,  or  rather,  nobody 
has  anything  to  propose  that  is  new. 

I  took  occasion  to  mention  the  fallacy  of  some  of  what  I 
knew  to  be  the  Boer  position — e.g.,  that  if  they  got  more 
ground  they  would  be  more  peaceful,  etc. 

You  would  see  that  by  Sir  Bartle  Frere,  in  the  Fall  Mall. 
I  asked  Chesson  about  him  and  the  meeting.  "  If  you  like 
to  spoil  it  let  him  come,"  was  the  answer,  "  the  Conservatives 
would  cheer  him,  and  the  others  hiss  him."  "  If  any  hissed, 
and  I  had  the  slightest  chance  I  should  certainly  stick  up 
for  him,"  "Yes,  and  spoil  the  meeting."  When  I  found 
that  no  tickets  had  been  sent  to  him,  or  his  family,  and  all 
so  deeply  interested  in  the  question,  I  sent  some  down  to 
them,  and  Lady  Frere  was  kind  enough  to  send  up  an 
express^  with  a  note  of  thanks.  Sir  Bartle  was  away  in 
Nottinghamshire,  and  wrote  a  note  to  me  which  I  got  in  the 
morning.  Of  course  he  did  not  know  about  the  tickets,  as 
he  was  away  from  home.  Do  you  know,  although  I  don't 
agree  with  what  the  Conservatives  and  he  were  doing,  I  do 
admire  the  man,  and  feel  intensely  sorry  for  the  calamity 
which  has  come  upon  him  after  a  life-time  of  devoted  service 
to  his  country.  It  is  his  indomitable  pluck  which  captivates 
me,  and  his  really  noble  bearing  in  his  present  trying 
position.  However,  I  did  not  mean  to  go  into  this.  But 
Sir  H.  Barkly  was  there  and  spoke  well ;  Sir  H.  Robinson 
was  quoted  by  Forster ;  but  poor  Sir  Bartle  was  nowhere. 
Mind  you  it  is  a  warning — but  not  to  governors  only,  I 
should  think,  but  to  those  who  send  them  ;  for  I  thmk 
he  was  a  good  and  loyal  servant  of  the  Conservative 
Government, 

Sir  Fowell  Buxton  was  very  kind,  enquiring  where  I  was, 
etc.  And  what  do  you  think  ?  The  Lord  Mayor  has  asked 
me  to  dine  with  him  to-morrow  w^eek,  to  meet  Mr  Scanlen  of 
the  Cape  Colony.  Perhaps  it  will  be  all  over  before  that 
time. 

We  shall  see  ;  but  I  should  not  be  surprised  if  the  meet- 
ing to-night  does  help  the  cause  of  eventual  peace  and  good 
government  in  South  Africa.  I  am  sending  this,  via 
Portobello. 


THE  LONDON  CONVENTION  295 


Another  important  meeting  was  held  in  Edinburgh 
on  January  31st,  1884.  Mackenzie  was  the  leading 
speaker  and  he  was  followed  by  the  late  Professor 
Henry  Calderwood  of  Edinburgh  University,  the  late 
Bishop  Cotterill,  Professor  W.  G.  Blaikie,  the  bio- 
grapher of  Livingstone,  Mr  John  Gifford,  the  Rev. 
G.  D.  Cullen  and  others.  Dr  Calderwood  described 
Mackenzie's  speech  as  a  "  very  clear,  very  calm,  and 
very  important  statement" 

Mackenzie  secured  a  place  for  his  second  Review 
article  in  the  Contemporary  of  January  1884.  It 
was  entitled  "  England  and  South  Africa,"  and  ex- 
tended to  twenty-six  pages.  It  was  divided  into  four 
sections,  in  the  course  of  which  the  author  tried  to 
put  into  the  hands  of  any  intelligent  Englishman 
all  the  material  which  he  would  need  for  mak- 
ing up  his  mind  as  to  the  claims  made  by  the 
Transvaal  and  the  responsibilities  of  Great  Britain 
in  Bechuanaland. 

Section  I.  introduced  the  discussion  by  asking  why  the 
Pretoria  Convention  had  not  succeeded.  "  The  delegates 
have  declared,  since  they  came  to  England,  that  they  are 
willing  to  observe  towards  the  native  tribes  all  that  human 
or  divine  law  would  dictate.  Under  what  category  are  we 
to  reckon  the  Pretoria  Convention,  which  the  Transvaal  has 
so  flagrantly  broken,  and  now  wishes  to  rescind  ?  "  Section 
II.  "  The  Transvaal  and  Bechuanaland,"  traced  the  history 
of  the  relations  between  the  Transvaal  Boers  and  the  tribes 
whose  territories  they  now  wished  to  obtain.  The  legal 
status  of  the  blacks  in  the  Transvaal  is  once  more  referred 
to,  and  the  following  telling  comparison  is  made.  "  The 
Transvaal  is  a  would-be  Republic ;  so  are  the  United  States 
of  America.  But  the  one  may  be  justly  said  to  be  in  some 
respects  the  opposite  of  the  other.  The  inequality  of  men 
which  the  Transvaal  people  left  the  Cape  Colony  to  secure — 
which  they  have  written  in  their  constitution  in  the  Trans- 
vaal— is  the  very  doctrine  which  has  been  removed  from  the 
laws  of  the  American  Republic,  after  sacrifices  such  as  the 
world  never  heard  of  before.    Americans  have  freed  their 


296 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


own  Republican  doctrines  and  carried  them  out.  The 
Transvaal  may  come  to  do  so,  but  in  the  meantime  it  has  no 
right  to  be  classed  with  governments  which  are  its  antithesis 
in  doctrine  and  practice."  A  little  later  Mackenzie  says,  "I 
am  exceedingly  sorry  that  duty  compels  me  to  affirm  and  to 
show  that  the  historical  researches  published  under  the  name 
of  President  Kruger  are  entirely  unreliable."'  This  he  pro- 
ceeds to  do  at  some  length,  tracing  the  history  of  Bechuana- 
land  from  181 2  to  1883.  Section  III.  dealt  with  the 
"  Political  Condition  of  South  Africa."  Natal,  the  Free 
State,  and  the  Cape  Colony  were  briefly  described,  and  then 
nearly  five  pages  were  given  to  one  of  those  full  and,  it  may 
be  presumed  accurate  expositions  of  the  relations,  char- 
acteristics, and  political  problems  of  the  native  tribes  of  South 
Africa,  which  make  Mackenzie's  books  and  articles  of  first- 
rate  importance  to  future  students  of  that  subject.  Section 
IV.  once  more  outlined  his  ever-developing  plan  for  "  The 
Government  of  South  African  Native  Territories."  After 
describing  once  more  the  need  for  a  High  Commissioner  re- 
leased from  the  trammels  of  a  local  Governorship,  he  set 
forth  successively  his  definition  of  a  "  Territory,"  the  system 
of  territorial  law,  the  knotty  problem  of  land  tenure  in  a 
"  Territory,"  the  certainty  that  a  territorial  government 
could  be  paid  by  local  taxes  and  upheld  with  a  simple 
system  of  police.  Finally,  he  dealt  with  the  possibility  of 
war  in  the  carrying  out  of  his  scheme.  His  main  points 
were  that  in  a  country  fike  South  Africa  occasional  dis- 
turbances may  be  looked  for,  but  that  a  strong  govern- 
ment would  always  prevent  them  from  growing  into  "  wars  "  ; 
that  Great  Britain  cannot  run  away  from  difficulties  .  .  . 
from  the  shadows  of  her  own  mistakes  in  South  Africa,"  but 
that  she  need  never  have  on  her  hands  in  South  Africa  a 
disturbance  which  could  not  be  quelled  by  means  of  South 
African  Police.  "  If  you  have  several  native  territories 
under  your  Government,  you  will  always  be  able  to  find 
fighting  men  ready  to  your  hand,"  when  any  tribe  becomes 
rebellious.  The  article  concluded  with  the  following 
sentence  :  "  There  is  annexation  which  is  mere  theft ;  that 
we  abhor.  But  in  the  successful  government  of  South 
Africa  there  would  be  wdse  provision  made  for  a  process 
which  in  our  scheme  would  be  like  growth,  and  not  like  theft. 
The  land  would  not  be  stolen,  and  yet  expansion  would 
gradually  take  place.    Black  men  would  come  southward. 


THE  LONDON  CONVENTION  297 


white  men  would  go  northward — under  control  and  peace- 
fully. There  is  a  responsibility  in  accepting  such  a  scheme  ; 
but  there  is  a  responsibility  in  rejecting  it ;  and  there  is  the 
gravest  responsibility  in  letting  things  alone.  The  present 
condition  of  South  Africa  is  a  disgrace  to  the  character  and 
the  known  administrative  ability  of  England.  And  yet  with 
intelligent  treatment,  South  Africa,  as  it  has  been  the  most 
difficult,  and  is  to-day  the  most  unique,  may  also  become  the 
most  interesting  of  English  dependencies,  and  the  crowning 
effort  of  her  successful  administration." 

The  editor  of  the  Contemporary  Review  secured 
letters  from  Sir  H.  Barkly  and  Sir  Bartle  Frere,  to 
whom  this  article  was  submitted  in  proof,  and  their 
comments  were  printed  in  the  same  number  of  that 
Review.  It  had  been  announced  in  December  that 
Lord  Derby  had  expressed  his  substantial  agree- 
ment with  Mackenzie's  policy,  and  that  fact  no  doubt 
added  to  the  interest  with  which  his  article  was 
received.  In  a  private  letter  Sir  Bartle  Frere  made 
some  useful  suggestions  as  to  the  dissemination  of 
the  Review,  and  added,  "It  is  far  the  best  paper 
on  South  African  affairs  I  have  seen  for  a  long 
time,  and  ought  to  be  read  and  carefully  studied 
by  everyone  who  is  going  to  speak,  write,  or  vote 
on  the  subject." 

From  November  ist,  1883,  when  the  Conference 
began,  more  than  three  months  elapsed  before  an 
agreement  was  reached  on  the  first  article  of  the 
new  Convention,  the  article  which  determined  the 
boundaries  of  the  Transvaal.  Lord  Derby  aimed 
at  and  secured  a  compromise.  He  agreed  to  the 
annexation  of  a  rich  and  extensive  portion,  about 
2600  square  miles,  of  South  Bechuanaland  to  the 
Transvaal.  Mackenzie  of  course  opposed  this,  not, 
as  he  says  in  an  unprinted  manuscript  on  the  Con- 
ference, "  not  in  an  inimical  spirit  to  the  Transvaal, 
but  rather  in  its  highest  interest."  He  held  that 
for  so  scattered  a  population  as  the  Transvaal,  and 


298 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


for  a  Government  so  inefficient  in  departmental  work, 
the  addition  of  territory  was  no  boon,  but  a  burden. 
At  the  same  time,  he  pressed  the  argument  that  the  two 
native  chiefs,  Moshette  and  Massouw,  although  they 
had  been  induced  to  employ  Boer  volunteers,  did  not 
desire  annexation  to  the  Transvaal.  Nevertheless,  Lord 
Derby  having  remitted  a  quarter  of  a  million  pounds 
sterling,  having  recognised  the  significant  title,  "  The 
South  African  Republic,"  having  agreed  to  surrender 
the  British  right  to  control  the  Boers'  treatment  of 
natives,  having  granted  the  right  to  make  treaties 
with  foreign  powers,  subject  only  to  the  Queen's  veto, 
went  further  still  in  this  broad  and  unparalleled  policy 
of  "  generosity "  to  the  Transvaal,  and  "  gave "  that 
Government  the  right  to  govern  the  territory  of 
those  two  native  tribes.  All  through  the  discus- 
sions Mackenzie  feared  to  assume  too  hostile  an 
attitude,  lest  he  should  seem  to  be  a  mere  partisan  ; 
but  with  his  clear  conviction  regarding  the  ultimate 
purpose  of  Mr  Kruger's  policy,  he  regretted  deeply 
that  the  power  to  realise  that  purpose  was  thus  put 
into  those  hands  with  a  smile  of  security  and  of 
Imperial  self-confidence. 

When  the  Conference  at  last  resulted  in  the  "  Con- 
vention," that  document  embraced  no  less  than  twenty 
articles,  drawn  up  in  English  and  Dutch.  Several  of 
these  have  acquired  strange  significance  from  subse- 
quent events.  For  example,  the  fourth  article  forbids 
the  South  African  Republic  to  conclude  any  "  treaty 
or  engagement  with  any  State  or  nation  other  than 
the  Orange  Free  State  .  .  .  until  the  same  has  been 
approved  by  Her  Majesty  the  Queen."  That  singular 
exception,  which  was  allowed  with  contempt,  has  pro- 
duced sinister  results.  Article  IX.  provides  for  the 
continuance  of  complete  religious  freedom  for  all 
denominations,  "  provided  the  same  be  not  incon- 
sistent with  morality  and  good  order."    Article  XIV. 


THE  LONDON  CONVENTION  299 


is  the  famous  one  which  became  the  basis  of  dispute 
between  the  Transvaal  Government  and  the  Uitlanders 
in  after  years.  It  provides  for  the  freedom  and  equahty 
as  to  property  and  commercial  rights  before  the  law 
of  "  all  persons,  other  than  natives,  conforming  them- 
selves to  the  laws  of  the  South  African  Republic." 
Natives  are  dealt  with  in  other  articles  (VIII.  and 
XIX.),  where  slavery  is  forbidden,  "  or  apprenticeship 
partaking  of  slavery,"  and  the  South  African  Republic 
"  engages  faithfully  to  fulfil  the  assurance  "  given  to 
the  Transvaal  natives  by  the  Royal  Commission  at 
the  great  Pretoria  Pitso,  or  assembly  of  native  chiefs 
and  headmen,  in  1881. 

The  second  Article  was  the  one  which,  along  with 
the  first,  "  saved  the  face  "  of  the  British  Government, 
and  South  Africa  from  becoming  a  Dutch  Republic. 
The  first  half  of  it  was  as  follows  : — "  The  Govern- 
ment of  the  South  African  Republic  will  strictly 
adhere  to  the  boundaries  defined  in  the  first  Article 
of  the  Convention,  and  will  do  its  utmost  to  prevent 
any  of  its  inhabitants  from  making  any  encroachments 
upon  lands  beyond  the  said  boundaries.  The  Govern- 
ment of  the  South  African  Republic  will  appoint  Com- 
missioners upon  the  eastern  and  western  borders  whose 
duty  it  will  be  strictly  to  guard  against  irregularities, 
and  all  trespassing  over  the  boundaries.  Her  Majesty's 
Government  will,  if  necessary,  appoint  Commissioners 
in  the  native  territories  outside  the  eastern  and  western 
borders  of  the  South  African  Republic  to  maintain 
order  and  prevent  encroachments." 

Lord  Derby  decided  that,  in  view  of  the  whole 
circumstances  in  Bechuanaland,  the  provisions  of 
that  Article  must  be  acted  upon  at  once.  Order 
must  be  restored  in  that  land,  a  debt  of  honour 
must  be  paid  to  Montsioa  and  Mankoroane,  the  two 
loyal  chiefs,  and  the  trade  route  must  be  occupied 
in  order  to  be  kept  open.    To  this  decision  Derby 


300 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


was  led,  not  merely  by  a  consideration  of  the 
rights  of  the  case,  but  by  the  argument  that  the 
Cape  Colony  was  profoundly  interested  in  the 
matter,  was  prepared  to  share  the  expense  of  oc- 
cupying the  country,  and  might  ultimately  consent 
to  its  annexation.  The  Premier  of  the  Colony 
had  been  in  England  during  part  of  the  negotia- 
tions, and  virtually  pledged  himself  and  his  col- 
leagues to  see  that  the  Colonial  Government  bore 
its  part  of  the  cost.  Lord  Derby,  while  convinced 
of  the  wisdom  of  Mackenzie's  scheme,  was  never 
thoroughly  convinced  that  the  British  people  would 
sanction  the  expenditure  of  Imperial  funds  to 
secure  Bechuanaland  or  maintain  British  supremacy 
in  South  Africa.  His  timidity  on  the  point  was 
no  doubt  increased  by  the  urgency  with  which 
that  little  group  of  Liberals  still  pressed  what 
Mackenzie  called  the  "  clear-out  policy." 

When  Lord  Derby  and  Sir  Hercules  Robinson 
were  deciding  what  to  do  with  Bechuanaland,  the 
latter  recommended  that  Mackenzie  should  be  sent 
out  as  Deputy  Commissioner.  At  first  Derby  hesitated. 
He  clearly  foresaw  the  kind  of  criticism  which  would 
be  made  upon  the  appointment  of  a  missionary  to  so 
important  a  task,  and  he  invited  Robinson  to  name 
some  one  else.  But  Sir  Hercules  had  made  up  his 
mind,  for  the  time  at  any  rate.  He  had  been  very 
closely  associated  with  Mackenzie  for  some  months 
now,  and  was  evidently  under  the  influence  of  his 
strong  personality  and  his  intellectual  grasp  of  the 
situation.  A  few  months  later,  when  other  strong 
personalities  were  busy  around  him  and  bearing  down 
upon  his  too  pliant  will,  he  gave  the  following  as  the 
reasons  for  his  nomination  of  John  Mackenzie  :  "  Mr 
Mackenzie  was  selected  for  the  post  because  it  was 
assumed  that,  having  regard  to  his  well-known  in- 
fluence with  the  natives,  as  well  as  to  his  success- 


THE  LONDON  CONVENTION  301 

ful  advocacy  of  Colonial  interests,  his  appointment 
would  have  commanded  the  confidence  of  the 
colonists  as  well  as  of  the  natives  over  whom  it  was 
proposed  to  establish  a  Protectorate."  The  follow- 
ing is  the  letter  to  Sir  Hercules  Robinson,  in 
which  Mackenzie  indicated  his  willingness  to 
accept  the  appointment  if  offered  to  him  by  the 
Government : — 

II  Queen  Square, 
Bloomsbury,  Zth  Feb.  1884. 

Dear  Sir  Hercules, — With  reference  to  your  kind  offer 
to  recommend  me  to  Her  Majesty's  Government  for  the 
Commissionership  in  Bechuanaland,  I  beg  to  express  my 
thanks  and  my  willingness  to  do  my  best  in  that  capacity, 
should  your  recommendation  receive  the  sanction  of  the 
Government. 

I  am,  however,  more  interested  in  the  initiation  of  a 
Native  Policy  in  South  Africa  by  the  English  Government 
which  would  pacify  the  country,  lead  to  union,  and  establish 
our  own  rule  there,  than  I  am  with  reference  to  any  other 
question,  even  my  own  personal  affairs. 

The  government  is  getting  the  credit  with  the  public 
of  facing  this  subject  somewhat  on  the  lines  of  the  article  in 
the  Conte?nporary.  I  meet  with  indications  of  this  on  all 
hands,  and  I  feel  sure  they  themselves  will  feel  bound  to 
look  at  it  in  this  light. 

I  shall  be  content  with  the  smallest  honest  and  avowed 
beginning  of  this  policy  ;  and  will  cheerfully,  and  under  a 
full  sense  of  duty,  take  any  share  in  working  it  out,  for  which 
they  and  you  may  think  I  am  qualified. 

Trusting  I  rightly  interpret  the  attitude  of  Her  Majesty's 
Government  towards  this  most  important  and  hitherto  most 
perplexing  and  vexatious  question,  I  place  myself  at  their 
disposal  in  connexion  with  it. — I  am,  dear  Sir  Hercules, 
ever  yours  sincerely, 

John  Mackenzie. 

P.S. — If  Her  Majesty's  Government  will  only  give  this  a 
fair  chance,  and  gradually,  cautiously,  and  intelligently 
develop  the  policy  I  refer  to,  I  hope  to  live  to  see  a 


302 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


practically  united  South  Africa,  and  England  relieved  of 
the  present  irritating  responsibilities  in  that  part  of  the 
world. 

On  February  2ist  Mackenzie  received  Lord  Derby's 
formal  offer  of  the  post,  and  he  at  once  replied  in 
the  following  letter,  which  summarises  the  main 
conditions  of  the  appointment.  The  salary  named  to 
him  was  il^i200  per  annum,  and  necessary  travelling 
expenses. 

London,  21  st  February  1884. 
The  Right  Honourable  the  Earl  of  Derby, 
Secretary  of  State  for  the  Colonies. 

My  Lord, — I  have  received  your  Lordship's  letter  of 
this  date,  stating  your  own  views  and  those  of  Sir  Hercules 
Robinson  as  to  my  fitness  for  the  proposed  office  of  Resident 
Commissioner  in  Bechuanaland,  and  desiring  to  know  if  I 
can  undertake  that  work  "  under  those  conditions  which  the 
circumstances  of  the  case  render  necessary." 

Your  Lordship's  description  of  those  circumstances  is,  that 
the  intervention  of  Her  Majesty's  Government  in  Bechuana- 
land is  of  a  tentative  and  experimental  character ;  that 
therefore,  present  arrangements  cannot  possibly  be  of  a 
permanent  nature  ;  consequently,  that  your  Lordship  cannot 
guarantee  the  permanence  of  the  employment  which  you 
now  offer  me;  but  that  either  party  may  retire  from  the 
arrangement  should  he  see  fit  to  do  so. 

After  giving  the  question  the  most  serious  consideration, 
I  have  come  to  the  conclusion  to  accept  of  the  offer  with 
which  your  Lordship  has  honoured  me.  As  I  do  so,  the 
importance  and  the  difficulty  of  the  work  are  vividly 
before  me.  I  face  it  with  diffidence,  but  with  a  clear  feeling 
that  I  am  in  the  path  of  duty  in  the  course  which  I  now 
take. 

Your  Lordship  seems  to  be  of  the  opinion  that  I  could  do 
the  work  required  of  me,  while  still  connected  with  the 
Missionary  Society.  This  was  my  own  view  in  somewhat 
parallel  circumstances  some  years  ago,  and  the  High  Com- 
missioner then  wrote  to  the  Directors  of  the  Society,  asking 
that  such  arrangement  might  be  sanctioned.  That  sanction, 
however,  was  withheld,  on  the  ground  that  such  a  union  of 


THE  LONDON  CONVENTION  303 


offices  was  not  in  accord  with  the  usages  of  the  Society.  I 
may  now  say,  however,  that,  as  individuals,  the  Directors  are 
impressed  with  the  great  importance  of  the  work,  and  approve 
of  my  undertaking  it  in  present  circumstances,  although  this 
necessitates  my  formal  severance  from  the  number  of  the 
Society's  missionaries. 

The  question  referred  to  by  your  Lordship  as  to  the 
action  to  be  taken  in  Bechuanaland — the  powers  and 
duties  to  be  assigned  to  the  Resident  Commissioner — are 
of  the  greatest  importance  ;  and  I  shall  be  happy  to  wait 
on  your  Lordship  for  their  discussion  while  the  High 
Commissioner  is  still  here. — I  am,  my  Lord,  Your  Lord- 
ship's obedient  Servant, 

John  Mackenzie. 

The  following  brief  note  is  of  some  interest  at  this 
point : — 

1 1  Queen  Square, 
Bloomsbury,  i^th  Feb.  1884. 

My  Dear  Mr  Gates, — In  leaving  Sir  H.  Robinson's 
hotel  this  morning,  I  passed  President  Kruger  and  Mr  du 
Toit,  who  were  expected.  I  had  a  good  look  at  each  in 
passing.  I  hope  to  be  introduced  one  of  these  days,  for 
the  fighting  is  over,  so  far  as  they  are  concerned ;  and  I  am 
quite  willing  to  shake  hands. 

Dr  Jorrissen  has  gone  out  in  the  same  ship  with  my  friends 
the  Hepburns.  Hepburn  writes  me  from  Madeira  that  Jorrissen 
is  spreading  the  story  that  I  have  made  a  bother  about  the 
trade  route,  because  I  am  largely  engaged  in  trade  myself! 
One  of  the  passengers,  a  Port  Elizabeth  merchant,  came  to 
Mr  Hepburn  and  laid  the  matter  before  him.  Mr  Hepburn,  of 
course,  was  able  to  reply,  "To  my  certain  knowledge  Mr 
Mackenzie  has  not  touched  trading  even  with  his  little  finger." 

Some  people  are  unable  to  believe  that  a  man  can  act 
without  selfish  motives.  They  had  to  cast  about  for  my 
motives.  Not  finding  them,  they  have  invented  trade.  I 
am  much  encouraged  with  the  story.  The  cause  is  feeble 
which  has  to  resort  to  such  shifts.  However,  Hepburn  is  no 
doubt  right  when  he  says  that  Jorrissen  is  bent  on  mischief  in 
South  Africa. — Ever  yours  sincerely, 

John  ^Mackenzie. 


304 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


The  new  Convention  was  signed  on  February  27th, 
1884,  and  the  news  was  at  once  telegraphed  by  Lord 
Derby  to  Cape  Town.  Mackenzie's  appointment  was 
announced  at  the  same  time.  In  England  the  new 
departure  was  condemned  by  those  who  desired  to 
"  clear  out "  of  Africa  ;  but  by  all  who  had  espoused 
the  opposite  policy  and  followed  Mackenzie's  tireless 
labours  for  eighteen  months,  the  saving  of  Bechuana- 
land  from  the  Transvaal  was  regarded  as  a  great 
triumph,  and  the  appointment  of  the  missionary  to  rule 
as  a  Protector  among  his  own  people  was  welcomed 
as  at  once  the  unsought  reward  of  his  unselfish  work, 
and  a  pledge  of  the  earnestness  of  the  Government. 
It  is  now  clear  that,  personalities  apart,  the  weak  point 
in  the  whole  arrangement  lay  in  Derby's  dependence 
upon  the  co-operation  of  the  Cape  Colony,  and  Robin- 
son's consequent  fear  that  the  British  Government  would 
not  incur  any  initial  expense  in  establishing  the  Pro- 
tectorate unless  the  Colony  shared  in  it.  Mackenzie, 
who  later  was  confronted  by  this,  considered  it  no 
obstacle  to  his  acceptance  of  the  task,  being  sure  that 
at  last  the  Colonial  Office  was  entering  on  a  consistent 
and  persistent  Imperialist  policy  in  Bechuanaland  and 
beyond,  and  being  sure  also  of  the  loyal  support  of 
his  chief.  Sir  Hercules  Robinson. 

Congratulations  came  to  him  from  all  quarters. 
From  private  friends,  of  course,  he  received  many 
words  of  affectionate  farewell  ;  for  he  was  a  man 
whom  strong  men  of  all  kinds  learned  to  love  with 
a  strong  devotion.  The  newspapers  on  the  whole 
spoke  heartily  and  hopefully  of  the  unusual  move, 
and  many  of  the  public  men  with  whom  his  work 
had  brought  him  into  contact  wrote  or  spoke  to 
him  warmly  and  generously  of  their  confident  hopes 
regarding  him  and  his  future  career  in  South  Africa. 
The  latter  class  included  Mr  W.  E.  Forster,  Sir  T. 
F.  Buxton,  Mr  Talbot  Baines,  and  others. 


THE  LONDON  CONVENTION  305 


Naturally  Mackenzie  parted  from  the  London 
Missionary  Society  with  great  reluctance  and  sorrow. 
But  he  was  comforted  by  the  broad  and  generous 
spirit  in  which  the  Directors  of  the  Society  treated 
him  in  private  conference,  and  by  the  following 
minute  which  they  adopted  and  sent  to  him.  No 
less  grateful  to  him  were  the  letters  which  he  received 
from  Bechuanaland  missionaries,  his  former  fellow- 
labourers,  several  of  whom  now  wrote  very  cordially, 
and  who  saw  in  his  appointment  the  prophecy  of 
better  days  for  those  among  whom  they  laboured. 

London  Missionary  Society 
Resolution  of  the  Board  of  Directors,  \^th  March  1884 

In  consenting  to  the  withdrawal  of  the  Rev.  John 
Mackenzie  from  the  connection  which  he  has  had  with  the 
London  Missionary  Society  for  the  period  of  twenty-five 
years,  the  Board  of  Directors  feel  that  it  is  due  both  to  Mr 
Mackenzie,  himself,  and  to  the  Society  to  place  on  record 
the  following  minute  : — 

That,  whereas  serious  difficulties  have  arisen  in  South 
Africa,  especially  in  relation  to  the  Bechwana  tribes,  and  that, 
the  interests  of  good  government,  the  progress  of  civilisa- 
tion, and  especially  the  successful  continuance  of  Christian 
work  among  the  natives,  are  deeply  affected  thereby ; 

And,  whereas,  the  Rev.  John  Mackenzie  is  recognised  on 
all  sides  as  a  man  who  possesses  the  most  intimate  acquaint- 
ance with  the  condition  of  the  people,  and  is  well-known  to 
the  Boers,  and  has  very  great  influence  with  the  Bechwana 
people ; 

And,  whereas,  the  Government  has  requested  Mr 
Mackenzie  to  accept  the  post  of  Resident-Commissioner 
among  the  Bechwanas; 

And,  whereas,  the  work  to  which  he  is  now  called,  though 
separating  him  from  the  immediate  duties  of  the  Christian 
Missionary,  has  yet  an  important  bearing  upon  the  successful 
prosecution  of  the  mission  of  the  Society  among  the  Bechwana 
tribes  ; 

Resolved  that  : — 

Although  the  Board  has  yielded  to  what  seems  to  be  a 

u 


3o6 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


providential  indication  of  the  will  of  God,  in  the  disposal  of 
the  services  of  its  late  missionary,  it  desires  to  record  its 
conviction  that  only  in  very  exceptional  circumstances  can 
the  severance  of  a  missionary  from  his  proper  duties  be  any- 
thing but  a  departure  from  the  highest  form  of  Christian 
labour ;  but,  at  the  same  time,  it  would  express  the  sense  it 
entertains  of  the  high  personal  character  of  Mr  Mackenzie, 
the  great  value  of  his  work  in  the  past  in  the  Foreign  Mission 
field,  the  serious  loss  to  the  agency  of  the  Society  which  his 
change  of  service  involves  ;  and,  further,  it  desires  to  affirm 
its  unabated  confidence  in  the  purity  and  integrity  of  Mr 
Mackenzie's  purposes,  and  to  commend  to  the  loving  care  of 
the  Master,  whom  he  has  served  so  long,  the  life  of  its  late 
missionary  in  the  important  and  difficult  duty  to  which  he 
has  been  called. 

And  the  Board  would  further  pray  : — 

That  through  the  development  of  a  just  and  humane 
policy  on  the  part  of  the  British  Government,  administered 
with  the  firmness  and  gentleness  which  the  Commissioner 
possesses,  there  may  be  inaugurated  a  future  for  the  Bechwana 
people,  by  which  the  first  beginnings  of  civilisation  and  the 
early  lessons  of  the  Gospel  may  be  carried  out  in  abundant 
prosperity,  and  the  production  of  the  highest  virtues  and  the 
highest  graces  of  the  Christian  life. 

The  departure  of  Sir  Hercules  Robinson  and  that 
of  John  Mackenzie  for  the  Cape  was,  in  each  case, 
celebrated  by  a  public  function.  To  the  former  a 
banquet  was  given  on  March  3rd,  at  the  Empire  Club, 
and  a  breakfast  was  given  in  honour  of  Mackenzie, 
at  the  Westminster  Palace  Hotel  by  Sir  William 
M'Arthur.  At  the  banquet.  Sir  Hercules  spoke  out 
most  frankly  about  the  British  Policy  in  Bechuana- 
land,  and  especially  about  the  inability  of  the  Cape 
Colony  to  undertake  the  government  of  vast  native 
territories,  and  the  consequent  responsibility  of  the 
Imperial  Government.  With  all  this  the  Earl  of 
Derby  expressed  his  emphatic  concurrence.  At  the 
breakfast  the  most  remarkable  event  was  the  speech 
of  the   Hon.  Evelyn  Ashley,  the  Under  Secretary 


THE  LONDON  CONVENTION  307 


for  the  Colonies,  who  had  previously  said  of  every 
South  African  proposal,  "  non  possumus^'  and  who 
now  uttered  sentiments  which  gave  Mackenzie  the 
deepest  confidence  regarding  the  future  of  his  own 
policy. 

Among  the  events  which  moved  him  most  was  the 
visit  which  Mackenzie  paid  to  Sir  Bartle  Frere.  He 
refers  to  it  briefly  in  "  Austral  Africa " ;  but  the 
following  extract  from  a  letter  to  his  third  son,  James 
Donald  Mackenzie,  then  a  student  at  Edinburgh 
University,  adds  some  pathetic  touches. 

Dartmouth,  14/-^  March  1884. 

Dear  Jim, — I  ought  to  tell  you  of  my  most  interesting 
and  impressive  visit  to  the  sick-bed  of  Sir  Bartle  Frere. 
Lady  Frere  telegraphed  on  Tuesday  that  she  hoped  I  would 
be  able  to  call  before  sailing,  that  Sir  Bartle  had  had  such 
pleasure  in  hearing  of  my  appointment.  I  had  fully  intended 
to  go  down  that  very  forenoon  (Wednesday),  so  I  answered 
accordingly  and  went.  Had  luneh ;  met  a  Sir  Julius  Gold- 
smith recently  from  the  Congo,  and  all  the  Misses  Frere. 
Lady  Frere  and  they  were  very  kind.  After  lunch  went  up. 
Sir  Bartle  was  in  bed,  slightly  improving,  but  still  ill.  His 
eye  was  bright  and  his  expression,  as  well  as  his  language, 
really  noble.  He  spoke  as  one  who  stood  on  the  Border- 
land and  who  saw  both  sides — the  spirit-world  to  which 
he  was  near  and  the  world  in  which  he  had  been  living. 
He  could  not  have  been  more  affectionate  to  me  if  I  had 
been  his  son. 

After  some  talk  he  said,  "  Well,  Mackenzie,  you  will  make 
a  good  job  of  that  out  there ;  I  know  you  will.  I  have 
no  doubt  of  it.  You  will  get  a  lot  of  godly  men  around 
you  ;  see  you  do  that,  and  work  out  your  own  plan,  go  straight 
at  that,  and  you  have  the  whole  thing  in  your  own  hand, 
or  rather  you  and  it  are  in  the  hand  of  God."  Many 
such  expressions  he  used,  most  affectionate  and  hopeful. 
Shook  hands ;  and  then,  while  I  stood,  seized  and  held  my 
hand,  which  was  near  him.  Lady  Frere  brought  him  back 
to  the  debatable  ground  of  this  world  by  saying,  "  My  dear, 
but  it  was  only  what  you  wanted  to  do  five  years  ago."  The 
praise  involved  did  not  affect  him;  he  strongly  replied,  "  God's 


3o8 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


time  is  the  best  time."  I  added  by  way  of  strengthening 
this,  The  Enghsh  public  now  know  better  than  then  what 
is  involved  in  these  South  African  questions."  He  agreed 
warmly  to  this.  His  blessing  was  most  devoutly  given  to  me  for 
my  full  success.  Take  this  dear  Jim,  in  connexion  with  the 
breakfast  next  morning  at  which  there  were  those  who  have 
said  that  Frere  should  have  been  hanged,  and  I  think  you 
will  agree  with  me  that  God  has  been  helping  me  in  this 
matter,  in  bringing  together  so  many  of  divergent  views  to 
unite  in  favour  of  this  scheme  of  Territorial  Government  of 
Natives  which  I  have  been  advocating. 

•  •  •  *  •  • 

On  March  14th,  1884,  Mackenzie,  taking  v^^ith  him 
his  wife  and  two  youngest  daughters  and  also  his 
second  son,  Dr  J.  Eddie  Mackenzie,  sailed  from  Dart- 
mouth on  the  Dru7nmond  Castle,  which  came  to  so 
terrific  an  end  in  the  year  1896  off  the  coast  of 
France.  At  the  last  he  was  busy  with  farewell  letters, 
a  number  of  which  were  written  after  going  on  board. 
His  heart  was  deeply  moved  by  certain  family  events 
which  called  out  letters  full  of  tenderness  and  sym- 
pathy. But  other  letters  dealt  with  South  Africa, 
and  were  addressed  to  those  who  had  aided  him. 
In  that  which  he  sent  to  Dr  Dale  occur  a  few 
words  whose  spirit  pervaded  all  he  said  and  wrote 
at  that  time. 

Well,  dear  friend  and  helper  in  this  good  and,  I  trust, 
enduring  work,  I  thank  you  ;  and  I  trust  thanks  will  be  given 
to  you  by  others  when  these  matters  are  better  understood. 
Patience  and  trust  in  the  right !  That  will  be  my  own 
motto  out  there. 

We  can  do  with  a  great  deal  of  praying  for.  I  think  I 
come  under  two  columns  or  paragraphs,  now — missionary 
and  governmental — and  need  it  all. 

Good-bye  !  Do  not  lose  sight  of  the  subject.  Do  not 
think  it  ought  to  come  right  all  at  once.  Be  patient  also, 
and  hopeful,  and  when  all  are  so,  it  will  be  a  happy  thing 
for  the  workers  out  there. 


THE  LONDON  CONVENTION  309 


As  he  sat  in  the  train  on  that  1 3th  of  March  he 
was  handed  a  newspaper  by  a  stranger,  which  turned 
out  to  be  the  Pall  Mall  Gazette.  There  he  found, 
unmistakably  from  the  pen  of  his  staunch  friend  and 
supporter,  Mr  W.  T.  Stead,  an  article  entitled  "  Our 
First  Resident  in  Bechuanaland."  This  article  was 
full  of  Mr  Stead's  characteristic  enthusiasm  for  his 
favourite  projects.  As  it  contained  a  description  of 
Mackenzie  and  his  work  which  is  both  vivid  and  im- 
pressive, most  of  it  is  here  inserted. 

Our  First  Resident  in  Bechuanaland 

A  sturdy,  stalwart,  broad-backed,  beetle-browed  Scots- 
man, whose  sandy  hair  is  beginning  to  silver  with  the  frost 
of  the  second  half  century  of  life,  and  whose  keen  blue  eyes 
look  out  with  shrewd  penetrating  gaze  beneath  a  solid,  but 
somewhat  irregular  forehead  ;  that  is  Mr  Mackenzie,  formerly 
of  the  London  Missionary  Society,  now  first  British  Com- 
missioner for  the  territory  of  Bechuanaland.  He  leaves 
London  this  afternoon  to  unravel  the  Gordian  knot  that 
Boers  and  filibusters,  with  the  aid  of  Moshette  and  Massouw, 
have  been  busy  tying  for  the  last  two  years  in  the  country 
of  Mankoroane  and  Montsioa.  This  morning,  before  he 
left,  he  was  entertained  at  a  quasi-public  breakfast  by  Mr 
M 'Arthur,  around  whose  hospitable  board  were  assembled 
a  representative  gathering  of  politicians,  philanthropists,  and 
administrators,  to  bid  God-speed  to  the  new  Resident  on  his 
departure  for  his  new  duties.  Seldom  has  anyone  better 
deserved  a  hearty  recognition  of  his  services  than  the  man 
who  has  made  the  name  of  Mackenzie  worthy  to  be  linked 
with  those  of  Moffat  and  Livingstone  who  preceded  him 
at  the  mission  station  which  he  has  exchanged  for  the 
Residency  of  a  British  Commissioner.  The  task  that 
is  before  him  is  arduous ;  the  difficulties  are  all  but 
insurmountable.  .  .  . 

England  may  well  trust  that  stubborn  Scotchman  with  the 
pacification  of  Bechuanaland,  for  he  has  already  given  proof 
of  his  mettle,  and  achieved  a  signal  success  in  a  far  more 
hopeless  undertaking.  .  .  . 

When  twelve  months  ago  Mr  Mackenzie  entered  the 


310 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


field  on  behalf  of  his  Bechuana  clients  with  unpronounce- 
able names,  he  had  everybody  against  him — the  Colonial 
Office,  the  Government,  the  House  of  Commons,  the  press. 
The  whole  nation,  so  far  as  it  was  articulate,  was  hostile  to 
his  project ;  and,  for  the  rest,  was  profoundly  indifferent  to 
such  black  fellows  as  Mankoroane  and  his  kinsmen.  .  .  . 

In  Parliament  there  was  a  minority,  led  by  Mr  Forster,  in 
favour  of  action,  but  the  majority  cared  nothing  for  Mankoroane, 
and  was  prepared  with  philosophical  equanimity  to  witness 
the  process  of  natural  selection  applied  in  its  rudest  and 
most  brutal  form  to  the  uninteresting  proteges  of  Moffat. 
As  for  the  press,  it  was  indifferent  where  it  was  not  hostile, 
and  ill-informed  where  it  was  best-intentioned.  .  .  .  Never- 
theless, this  formidable  array  of  hostile  forces  did  not  dis- 
concert Mr  Mackenzie  in  the  least.  Apart  from  the  sustaining 
influence  of  what  he  felt  to  be  a  just  cause,  and  his  belief  in 
the  overruling  Providence,  he  was  buoyed  up  chiefly  by  a 
conviction  in  the  reasonableness  and  intelligence  of  his 
fellow-countrymen.  "  If  I  can  only  make  them  see  the 
facts,"  he  said,  "  I  do  not  think  there  need  be  any  fear 
as  to  the  result."  And  so  at  missionary  meetings,  lecture- 
rooms,  and  in  public  meetings,  he  set  to  work  to  make  them 
see  the  facts.  .  .  .  Nor  did  he  confine  himself  to  public 
speech ;  his  pen  was  more  influential  than  his  tongue.  He 
had  never  done  writing  ;  and  two  of  his  articles  in  the  reviews 
enabled  him  to  place  his  scheme  for  the  future  government 
of  South  Africa  fully  before  the  public.  It  was  a  large 
scheme,  and  an  imposing  one,  and  in  these  days  of  hand- 
to-mouth  policies  it  stood  little  chance  of  being  listened  to, 
much  less  accepted.  But  it  was  listened  to,  and  in  its 
essentials  it  has  already  been  accepted,  and  his  articles  on 
the  territorial  government  of  South  Africa  have  become  the 
text-book  of  British  policy  in  that  region.  ...  As  Indian 
Viceroys  used  to  read  Mill  on  the  Government  of  India,  so 
future  South  African  administrators  will  have  to  master  the 
articles  of  Mackenzie.  .  .  , 

There  seemed  no  limit  to  his  activity.  He  interviewed 
Cabinet  Ministers,  he  buttonholed  editors,  he  haunted  the 
lobby  of  the  House  of  Commons.  He  saw  everyone  who 
had  any  influence  in  the  matter,  and  compassed  sea  and  land 
if  by  any  means  he  might  make  one  proselyte.  When  the 
Transvaal  delegates  came,  they  imagined  that  they  had  only 
to  come  and  see,  and  conquer.    If  they  had  come  nine 


THE  LONDON  CONVENTION  311 

months  earlier  their  anticipations  might  have  been  fulfilled. 
When  they  arrived,  however,  it  was  too  late.  Mr  Mackenzie 
had  been  beforehand  with  them,  and  to  their  unconcealed 
chagrin,  they  found  that  the  public  would  not  tolerate  their 
attempt  to  erect  a  Boer  barrier  across  the  great  trade  route 
from  the  Cape  to  Central  Africa. 

Bechuanaland  was  saved  and  much  more  than  Bechuana- 
land.  .  .  .  Mr  Mackenzie  secured  the  favourable  verdict  of 
the  Government  and  of  public  opinion,  not  merely  for  the 
administration  of  Bechuanaland,  but  for  the  adoption  of  that 
far-reaching  native  policy  which  he  has  labelled  the  territorial 
system.  .  .  .  Without  forgetting  for  a  moment  the  old 
warning  against  boasting  when  donning  our  armour,  we 
may  safely  say  that  we  bid  Mr  Mackenzie  God-speed,  with 
every  confidence  that  hereafter  he  will  live  in  the  annals  of 
our  empire  as  the  man  who,  at  a  grave  crisis,  saved  Africa  for 
England. 


CHAPTER  XII 


AFRICA  JOHN    MACKENZIE    AS  DEPUTY- 
COMMISSIONER  (1884) 

Mackenzie  sailed  once  more  for  South  Africa,  with 
high  hopes  and  deep  devotion  of  spirit.  No  one  who 
knew  him  ever  suggested  that  his  acceptance  of  the 
Commissionership  meant  the  winning  of  a  personal 
ambition.  His  mind  had  for  many  years  been  set 
upon  the  problem  of  Britain's  place  and  work  in 
South  Africa.  He  saw  the  Boers  keeping  themselves 
poor  and  lowering  their  educational,  social,  and  moral 
standards  steadily  by  their  policy  of  indefinite  expan- 
sion. He  saw  them  "  eating  up  "  the  native  territories 
and  casting  whole  tribes,  who  were  on  the  road  to 
civilisation,  back  into  serfdom  and  degradation.  He 
saw  the  British  Government,  responsible  before  God 
and  man  for  South  Africa,  yet  shrinking  from  the 
obvious  and  honourable  task  of  controlling  the  history 
of  an  empire,  irritating  instead  of  appeasing,  betraying 
the  black  man  and  teasing  the  white  man  with 
changeful  policies.  Now  that  with  the  support  of 
others  he  had  succeeded  in  persuading  the  govern- 
ment to  face  the  whole  problem  of  South  Africa  in  a 
new  way  and  with  a  new  spirit,  how  could  he  decline, 
when  he  was  in  turn  urged  to  begin  the  work  ?  He 
saw  with  the  utmost  clearness,  as  the  natural  result  of 
a  firm  and  just  and  steady  Imperial  policy,  the  rapid 
elevation  of  the  Transvaal  Boer  and  the  black  man,  as 
well  as  the  gradual  development  and  ultimate  con- 
federation of  all  South  Africa.  It  came  to  him  as  a 
case  of  inexorable  duty  as  well  as  a  high  honour,  to 
share  in  working  for  a  hope  like  that. 
312 


AS  DEPUTY  COMMISSIONER  313 


The  story  of  Mackenzie's  experience  as  Deputy 
Commissioner,  and  the  circumstances  under  which  he 
resigned,  together  with  his  own  subsequent  work  for 
South  Africa,  are  fully  told  by  himself  in  his  large 
work,  "  Austral  Africa."  It  will  be  impossible  here  to 
enter  into  the  details  as  fully  as  he  did.  All  that  his 
biographer  can  attempt  is  to  narrate  the  main  events 
as  they  appear  in  the  Blue  Books,  and  in  his  private 
letters,  leaving  the  reader  who  desires  to  study  more 
closely  this  curious  turn  "  in  South  African  history, 
to  read  it  in  the  careful,  elaborate  and  uncontradicted 
pages  of  Mackenzie's  own  book. 

Before  he  sailed,  indeed  before  Sir  Hercules 
Robinson  sailed,  Mackenzie  received  forewarnings  of 
the  coming  storm.  As  soon  as  his  appointment  was 
telegraphed  to  Cape  Town  it  was  disapproved  by  the 
political  leaders  who  were  then  dominant  in  fact 
though  not  in  name.  Among  them  must  not  be 
reckoned  Sir  Thomas  Scanlen  and  some  of  his  sup- 
porters, who  represented  the  "  English  "  section  of  the 
Cape  Parliament.  This  party  was  about  to  be  sub- 
merged, however,  by  the  new  power  of  the  "  Dutch  " 
party,  which  the  Africander  Bond  had  been  rapidly 
enlarging  and  which  it  completely  controlled.  From 
the  latter  a  message  came  back  to  the  London  papers, 
announcing  that  the  appointment  was  generally  dis- 
approved, before  there  was  time  to  make  it  widely 
known,  or  to  gather  a  general  opinion  even  in  Cape 
Town  !  That  was  the  first  stroke  in  a  policy  which 
was  carried  out  with  increasing  virulence  and  with 
decreasing  honesty  as  Mackenzie's  work  went  on. 
Sir  Hercules  Robinson  hastened  to  assure  him  that,  as 
they  both  knew  well  "  how  such  thunder  was  manu- 
factured," he  must  not  be  disturbed  by  the  hostile 
telegram  from  Cape  Town.  Mackenzie  felt  sure  of 
Robinson,  and  every  such  word  of  encouragement,  of 
kindly  and  friendly  consideration  made  him  certain 


314 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


that  the  Queen's  High  Commissioner  for  South  Africa 
would  stand  true  to  his  Deputy  Commissioner,  whom 
he  had  selected  and  whose  appointment  he  had  urged 
so  strongly. 

When,  with  his  wife,  his  second  son,  Dr  John  Eddie 
Mackenzie,  and  his  two  youngest  daughters,  Mackenzie 
reached  Cape  Town,  he  was  very  heartily  received  by 
many  old  friends  and  acquaintances.  But  his  time 
was  fully  occupied  in  consultation  with  the  High 
Commisioner  and  Captain  Graham  Bower,  R.N.,  the 
Imperial  Secretary,  and  in  active  preparations  for  his 
journey  to  the  scene  of  his  own  momentous  under- 
taking. The  following  extract  from  a  letter  to  his 
eldest  son  gives  us  his  first  impressions  of  the  situa- 
tion at  Cape  Town  : — 

Cape  Town,  Zth  April  1884. 
The  English  colonial  politicians  have  given  me  a  very  poor 
requital  for  all  that  I  have  said  in  their  behalf  Fearing  that 
my  being  a  missionary  will  displease  the  Dutch-speaking 
colonists,  they  have  done  their  utmost  (I  include  members 
of  the  present  ministry)  to  get  me  superseded.  I  got  a 
bundle  of  newspapers  yesterday  from  Sir  Hercules,  con- 
taining adverse  criticism  of  Sir  Hercules,  the  Missionary 
Mackenzie — especially  the  scheme  of  the  latter.  It  was 
even  mentioned  to  Mr  Scanlen  that  he  should  wire  to 
Lord  Derby  and  get  my  appointment  annulled.  Scanlen 
had  firmness  and  common  sense  enough  to  refuse  to  do 
anything  of  the  sort.  I  believe  the  same  party  are  agitating, 
that  it  should  be  left  on  record  that  they  objected  to  my 
appointment.  Sir  H.  told  me  this,  but  does  not  think  they 
will  go  so  far.  It  means  that  when  Parliament  assembles,  the 
Dutch  party  may  be  gratified  with  the  opposition  to  me  which 
they  hope  to  show  that  they  have  offered.  This  is  really  a  case 
of  doing  good  to  a  community  against  its  will,  the  opera- 
tion meeting  only  open  thanklessness,  opposition,  despite. 
And  all  this  not  "  on  the  merits  " ;  but  because  I  have  been 
a  missionary.  And  this  fact  is  held  to  be  sure  to  offend  the 
Boers.  Friends  tell  me  the  storm  is  subsiding,  and  some  who 
are  perhaps  too  ardent  profess  to  see  signs  of  the  wind  chang- 
ing round  in  the  opposite  direcdon.  Sir  Hercules  is  clear  that 


AS  DEPUTY  COMMISSIONER  315 


it  was  worse  when  he  arrived.  But  good  people  meet  us  and 
assure  us  that  the  respectable  class  in  the  Cape  Colony  is 
with  us  in  what  we  are  attempting. 

When  he  arrived  at  Kimberley,  carrying  with  him 
the  formal  letter  of  instructions,  and  a  further  personal 
and  lengthy  communication  from  the  High  Com- 
missioner, his  spirits  rose.  Assured  of  Robinson's 
loyal  support,  and  hoping  that  the  success  of  his  work 
would  appease  the  opponents  of  his  appointment,  he 
was  still  further  encouraged  by  the  spirit  of  friendly 
and  sympathetic  interest  which  he  found  at  Kimberley. 
This  happier  frame  of  mind  is  reflected  in  the  next 
letter  to  the  same  son. 

Kimberley,  10th  April  1884. 

My  Dear  Willie, — Here  we  are,  all  well.  The  journey 
from  Cape  Town  is  very  rapid,  but  the  coach  part  of  it  is 
rough  also.  Your  mother  was  not  well  after  leaving  Cape 
Town,  but  she  is  all  right  again. 

A  considerable  change  has  taken  place,  apparently,  in 
opinion  at  the  Cape  concerning  "the  New  Departure  as 
to  native  affairs "  as  it  is  called ;  and  confidence  in  myself 
has  now  been  cordially  expressed  by  the  Cape  Times  and  the 
Cape  Argus,  the  latter  having  had  as  gracefully  as  possible  to 
perform  the  "  Right  about  face." 

Here  in  Kimberley  there  has  been  a  constant  flow  of 
visitors,  and  the  greatest  interest  has  been  expressed  in  the 
question.  I  find  that  my  articles  have  been  read,  and  are 
well  understood.  I  was  told  yesterday,  "  O,  your  writings 
have  been  read  and  studied  in  Stellaland."  Representatives 
of  the  two  rival  papers  here  happened  to  find  their  way  to 
the  hotel  at  the  same  time,  and  had  in  company  the  benefit 
of  a  lengthy  exposition  of  the  new  policy.  They  both  go  in 
for  it,  no  doubt,  with  a  sense  of  professional  regret,  because 
the  one  won't  be  able  to  pitch  into  the  other. 

This  affair,  dear  Willie,  means  many  a  tough  battle — 
sometimes  with  those  who  are  working  with  you.  But  God 
is  good  and  merciful,  and  will  help  forward  what  1  believe  is 
His  own  blessed  work  in  this  distracted  land.  O  for  more  of 
the  leavening  of  high  Christian  feeling  in  this  new  country  ! 


3i6 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


I  have  had  the  pleasure  of  meeting  Mr  Stewart  of  the 
Standard  Bank,  and  Mr  Simpson  of  the  Bank  of  Africa — 
both  Scotchmen  and  both  intimately  acquainted  with  affairs 
here,  travelling  very  much  and  knowing  all  of  the  best 
people.  They  both  expressed,  in  private  interviews,  their 
deep  interest  in  my  success  ;  and  have  their  eyes  open  to 
what  it  means  for  the  country.  I  am  much  cheered  by 
hearing  from  such  a  source  that  the  great  body  of  the 
Dutch-speaking  people  are  thoroughly  sound  and  loyal ;  and 
that  Republicanism  and  "  Anti-English "  feelings  are  con- 
fined to  a  few.  This  was  most  valuable  and  reliable  con- 
firmation of  my  own  view  on  this  vital  question.  So  I  am, 
on  the  whole,  encouraged  to  fight  on ;  I  see  for  what  I  am 
fighting.  May  it  please  God  to  grant  me  to  see  some  part 
realized.  This  week  I  hope  to  cross  over  into  Bechuanaland. 
It  is  full  of  complications.  It  is  also  well  stocked  with  evil 
men  of  our  own  colour.  But  I  trust  in  God  and  in  the 
humanity  which  still  remains  in  the  most  of  men.  The 
press  people  here  wished  me  to  allow  them  to  say  that  I 
should  ratify  the  holdings  of  the  white  men.  I  refused  ; 
but  pointed  to  my  scheme — narrated  my  fight  for  it  in 
London — that  instead  of  clearing  the  country,  the  country 
should  be  administered  ;  and  asked  them  to  form  their  own 
inference.  I  can't  get  people  to  see  "  the  other  side."  If  I 
go  committed,  the  natives  would  soon  hear  of  it ;  and  the 
whole  thing  would  be  discredited,  so  far  as  they  are  con- 
cerned. I  see  both  sides  vividly ;  very  awkward,  but  quite 
an  advantage. 

I  hear  good  news  from  Mr  Ashton.  My  brethren 
sympathize,  and  wish  me  God  speed.  "  I  could  not  have 
done  otherwise."  They  are  also  pleased  with  Lowe's 
appointment ;  they  think  it  augurs  well.  They  say  the 
natives  are  also  pleased. 

I  have  been  to  church  since  writing  as  above.  Have 
been  asked  to  preach  and  consented ;  so  must  conclude. 
This  will  go  to  Portobello,  but  there  won't  be  much  delay. 
Much  love  to  you  both,  and  sympathy  deep  and  real. 
Your  father,  John  Mackenzie. 

Before  the  work  of  Mackenzie  as  Deputy  Com- 
missioner is  described  some  account  must  be  given, 
even  with  some  repetition,  of  the  situation  which  he 


AS  DEPUTY  COMMISSIONER  317 

had  to  face.  History  in  Bechuanaland  had  been 
rapidly  made  since  he  left  the  country  in  the  middle 
of  1882.  We  have  seen  in  a  recent  chapter  how, 
after  the  British  occupation  by  Colonel  Lanyon  and 
Colonel  Warren,  the  country  was  abandoned.  Treaties 
which  had  been  offered  by  the  native  chiefs  were 
ignominiously  ignored  ;  obligations  which  had  been 
undertaken  for  the  time  by  the  Imperial  Government 
were  gradually  disowned  and  deserted.  This  was 
defended  on  the  ground  that  a  military  occupation  for 
disciplinary  purposes  could  not  be  construed  as 
involving  civil  duties,  and  must  not  lead  to  a  per- 
manent sovereignty.  It  was  a  bitter  day  for  the 
native  chiefs  when  the  "  White  Queen's  Government  " 
left  them  ;  and  it  was  a  bitter  experience  for  some  of 
the  British  officers  to  leave  the  people  whom  they  had 
helped  and  protected  in  the  Queen's  name  knowing,  as 
they  did,  that  disaster  would  speedily  fall  upon  their 
territories  and  their  persons.  Lord  Kimberley,  who 
was  at  that  time  Colonial  Secretary,  and  Sir  Hercules 
Robinson,  seem  to  have  believed  in  the  preposterous 
theory  that  the  Transvaal,  Orange  Free  State,  and 
Imperial  Governments  could  agree  upon  boundary 
lines,  and  would  all  honourably  observe  them  while,  at 
the  same  time,  the  native  chiefs  outside  these  bound- 
aries would  maintain  law  and  order,  and  resist  the 
incursions  of  white  marauders.  This  plan  for  solving 
the  South  African  problem  was  not  only  proposed  but 
acted  upon  by  British  Statesmen  in  1882. 

We  have  already  seen  that  Mankoroane,  whose  seat 
of  authority  was  Taungs,  while  an  important  chief, 
was  given  by  the  British  and  Transvaal  Governments 
an  exaggerated  importance  in  being  recognised  as 
paramount  chief  He  very  materially  aided  Colonel 
Lanyon  during  the  South  Bechuanaland  disturbances 
by  refusing  to  join  with  the  rebels  and  the  other  chiefs, 
and  by  helping  to  arrest  one  of  the  raiders.  In 


3i8  JOHN  MACKENZIE 


November  1878  he  and  his  councillors  and  head-men 
presented  to  the  British  Government  through  Colonel 
Warren  a  remarkable  petition  in  which  he  prayed 
the  Government  of  the  Queen  to  take  him,  his  people, 
and  territories  under  its  rule.  He  only  reserved  for 
himself,  and  that  naturally,  the  right  to  continue  as 
judge  among  his  own  people  at  Taungs  and  the  sur- 
rounding villages ;  but  even  to  that  he  added  the 
petition  that  the  Government  should  decide  as  to 
whether  he  fulfilled  this  function  adequately  or  not. 
It  need  hardly  be  pointed  out  that,  if  this  petition 
had  been  accepted,  a  large  and  valuable  territory 
would  have  been  peacefully  and  legitimately  annexed, 
and  the  bitter  troubles  which  afterwards  came  would 
have  been  prevented.  It  is  scarcely  credible,  but 
it  is  the  case,  that  this  offer  was  not  even  answered 
by  the  British  Government  !  When  in  the  years  '8  i 
and  '82  marauders  from  the  Transvaal  began  to  over- 
run Mankoroane's  country,  when  they  began  to  sup- 
port in  actual  warfare  against  him  the  very  chief 
whom  he  had  arrested  in  '78  on  behalf  of  and  at  the 
instance  of  Colonel  Lanyon,  he  found  himself  not  only 
forsaken  but  hindered  by  his  "  august  ally,  the  Govern- 
ment of  Queen  Victoria."  In  the  first  place,  the  Cape 
Government  had  forbidden  the  sale  of  ammunition  to 
the  Batlaping  tribes.  When  therefore  they  found 
themselves  attacked  by  the  Boers  upon  whom  no  such 
restriction  was  placed,  that  policy  had  the  effect  of 
actual  war  against  the  natives.  In  the  next  place,  it 
must  be  remembered  that  the  British  Government  had 
at  an  earlier  time  absorbed  a  considerable  part  of  the 
territory  occupied  by  Mankoroane's  people,  making 
them  British  subjects.  It  was  therefore  unlawful  and 
criminal  for  them  to  go  out  and  fight  with  their  own 
chief  against  his  Boer  enemies.  Surely  injustice  or 
blundering  could  hardly  go  farther  than  that.  Its 
natural  result  was  to  be  found  of  course  in  the  dismay 


AS  DEPUTY  COMMISSIONER  319 


and  distrust  of  the  native  tribes,  who  felt  themselves 
not  only  ignored  and  scorned  but  betrayed  by  this 
very  Government  which  they  had  always  regarded  as 
the  fountain  of  justice  and  security. 

Such  policy  or  absence  of  policy,  on  the  other 
hand,  embittered  the  inhabitants  of  the  Transvaal,  who 
saw  in  it  a  kind  of  negative  assurance  that  they  might 
do  what  they  liked  with  Bechuanaland  ;  the  Queen 
saw  no  value  in  it.  And  yet  a  third  class  were 
affected,  for  those  white  people,  whether  Dutch  or 
English,  who  lived  in  northern  Cape  Colony  and 
Bechuanaland,  and  who  believed  that  the  best  thing 
for  the  country  would  have  been  the  establishment  of 
Imperial  authority  and  control,  became  convinced  that 
no  South  African  could  henceforth  put  any  trust  in 
the  constancy  or  wisdom  of  the  Colonial  Office. 

This  was  of  course  a  golden  opportunity  for  the 
Boers  within  the  Transvaal.  Their  enjoyment  of 
independence  after  1881  was  seriously  marred  by  a 
partial  recurrence  of  those  conditions  whose  misery 
made  the  annexation  of  1877  at  once  a  humiliation 
and  a  redemption.  Once  more  the  old  cure  for 
internal  disease  was  sought,  by  pushing  out  the 
boundaries  and  taking  new  and  rich  farmlands  into 
the  republic.  Mackenzie  was  one  of  the  few  who  saw 
that  this  method  of  cure  was  aggravating  the  disease. 
But  it  was  recognised  that  in  the  neighbourhood  of 
British  Colonies  the  annexation  of  territory  must  be 
carried  through  with  at  least  the  outward  appearance 
of  legal  formality.  Formal  treaties  or  contracts  were 
made  between  groups  of  Boers  and  certain  native 
chiefs.  These  treaties  were  used  as  the  foundations 
for  new  republics,  it  being  understood  that  as  soon  as 
the  republics  gained  formal  recognition  by  the  British 
Government  they  would  be  absorbed  by  the  South 
African  Republic.^ 

^  Niekerk's  avowal,  C. — 4194,  p.  ii. 


320  JOHN  MACKENZIE 


There  were  four  native  chiefs  whose  lands  lay- 
nearest  the  Transvaal  or  partly  within  it,  on  the 
south  -  western  border,  and  whose  names  became 
prominent  in  these  years.  They  belonged  to  two 
sections  of  the  Bechuana  race  known  as  the  Batlaping 
and  the  Barolong.  The  territories  of  the  latter  were 
the  more  northerly,  Mafeking  being  their  best  known 
centre.  The  former  occupied  a  large  territory  within 
which  Vryburg  now  stands.  Each  of  these  sections 
again  was  broken  up  between  rival  tribes  which  were 
often  engaged  in  petty  wars  with  one  another  ;  and 
the  Boers  made  most  skilful  use  of  these  local 
rivalries  and  fights.  Alike  among  the  Barolong  and 
the  Batlaping  they  cleverly  named  the  chief  whose 
territory  lay  next  the  Transvaal  as  the  paramount 
chief  of  these  "  nations,"  as  they  grandiloquently  but 
confusedly  called  them.  These  nominations  were 
made  in  defiance  of  the  facts,  which  were  notorious 
throughout  Bechuanaland.  Having  made  extravagant 
promises  to  each  of  these  so-called  paramount  chiefs, 
it  was  easy  to  induce  them  to  make  the  necessary 
treaties  and  sign  the  necessary  documents  on  which 
the  further  march  of  civilisation  was  to  proceed. 

For  example,  let  us  take  the  foundation  of  the 
republic  of  Stellaland.  The  Boers  supported  Massow 
of  Mamusa  against  Mankoroane,  whose  head-town  was 
Taungs.  On  January  ist,  1882,  Massow  was  induced 
to  sign  a  proclamation  in  which  he  announced  his 
intention  of  enlisting  300  white  men  as  volunteers  to 
assist  him  in  fighting  his  rival.  He  promised  each  of 
the  volunteers  in  his  service  a  farm  of  3000  morgen, 
and  half  of  the  total  booty  was  to  be  divided  among 
them.  On  May  3rd,  a  further  invitation  was  issued 
for  a  hundred  additional  volunteers.  During  these 
and  the  following  months,  volunteers  were  trooping 
into  the  country  by  scores,  settling  down  on  all  the 
accessible  farms,  and  even  stretching  the  boundary 


AS  DEPUTY  COMMISSIONER  321 


into  the  territory  of  Mankoroane.  They  quickly 
formed  head-quarters  at  a  place  which  they  named 
Vryburg.  A  committee  of  management  of  the  volun- 
teers was  now  in  existence  ;  it  took  the  next  "  legal  " 
step  by  securing  on  January  i8th,  1883,  yet  another 
proclamation  from  poor  Massow,  conferring  upon  them 
the  power  of  self-government  within  such  part  of  his 
territory  as  was  then  "  inhabited  by  the  white  inhabi- 
tants, volunteers,  and  other  persons  authorised  by  us 
thereto."  The  chairman  of  the  Board  of  Management 
was  thereafter  to  be  recognised  as  Administrator  of  the 
aforesaid  territory.  On  September  i8th,  1883,  the 
"  Republic  of  Stellaland  "  was  formally  established, 
and  a  government  organised.  A  flag  was  adopted, 
which  was  afterwards  described  in  full  by  Sir  Charles 
Warren.^  In  one  quarter  a  bird,  said  to  stand  for 
Mankoroane,  was  represented  as  caught  and  held  by  a 
white  man's  hand  ;  in  another  there  was  depicted  a 
fish,  the  sacred  emblem  of  the  Batlaping,  pierced 
through  with  a  sword.  Thus,  not  without  prayer  and 
pious  exclamations,  was  the  standard  consecrated, 
which  committed  the  new  republic  to  the  destruction 
of  the  black  race.  Mackenzie's  first  task  was  to 
destroy  this  republic  and  bring  the  territory  under 
British  rule. 

•  ■  •  t  ■  t 

At  Kimberley  Mackenzie  began  to  encounter 
practical  difficulties.  He  found  that,  as  soon  as  it 
was  known  that  the  Imperial  Government  meant 
business  and  that  South  Bechuanaland  was  to  be  kept 
from  the  Transvaal,  intense  activity  was  created  among 
land-jobbers.  These  comprised  some  whom  every 
white  man  knew  to  be  rascals,  and  others  who  stood 
in  good  odour  in  the  business  world.  Some  were 
known,  alas  !  to  be  acting  as  agents  for  yet  others 
who  stood  still  higher  in  the  social  and  political  circles 
^  C. — 4643,  p.  201. 

X 


322  JOHN  MACKENZIE 


of  Cape  Colony.  To  all  these  it  seemed  nothing  less 
than  disaster  to  see  Mackenzie,  the  exponent  of  a  fair 
and  honourable  native  and  land  policy,  laying  his 
hands  upon  the  reins  of  power,  in  the  name  of  the 
Imperial  Government.  They  saw  a  land  commission 
to  establish  English  justice  between  black  and  white, 
between  Boer  and  Britain,  entering  Bechuanaland. 
They  saw  many  fair  farms,  which  had  been  filched 
from  native  chiefs  by  lies  and  fraud,  given  back. 
Some  big  firms  saw  the  extensive  domains  which 
were  coming  into  their  hands  by  the  failure  of  their 
debtors,  saved  from  this  sacred  destiny.  It  was  a 
maddening  prospect.  But  there  was  one  way  out  ; 
and  that  was  annexation  to  the  Cape  Colony ! 
Moreover,  to  make  that  more  palatable  to  the  British 
Government,  the  Colonial  Office  must  be  harassed  by 
the  failure  of  its  Deputy  Commissioner.  The  Parlia- 
ment at  Cape  Town  could  be  managed,  or  events 
could  be  delayed  indefinitely,  if  only  a  movement  for 
annexation  to  the  Colony  could  be  set  on  foot  and 
the  Imperial  administration  could  be  discredited.  To 
secure  the  latter  end  it  was  necessary  to  do  two 
things  ;  first,  to  hinder  Mackenzie's  success  on  the 
spot  ;  and  second,  to  send  alarming  messages  to  the 
London  papers.  Mackenzie  came  to  know  that  one 
of  the  most  unprincipled  land-jobbers  in  the  country 
was  in  a  position  to  use  one  of  the  leading  news 
agencies.  From  him  and  his  co-workers  went  forth 
the  telegrams  which  announced  in  England  that 
Mackenzie  was  meeting  opposition  in  Stellaland,  that 
the  Boers  were  ready  to  fight,  and  certain  to  win  ; 
and  once  it  was  announced,  without  a  fraction  of 
truth  in  the  statement,  that  the  Deputy  Commissioner 
had  been  assaulted  and  murdered  ! 

The  following  long  letter  to  Sir  Hercules  Robinson 
describes  in  a  lively  manner  the  strange  world  of  plots 
and  counterplots  in  which  he  found  himself,  and  the 


AS  DEPUTY  COMMISSIONER  323 


schemes  by  which  British  subjects  of  British  blood  were 
trying  to  prevent  Bechuanaland  from  coming  under 
British  authority,  for  the  sake  of  land  ! 

KiMBERLEY,  April  2\st^  1 884. 

Dear  Sir  Hercules, — My  stay  at  Kimberley,  which  is 
now  drawing  to  a  close,  has  placed  me  in  close  contact  with 
the  opinion  of  the  leading  men  of  the  town  and  district.  The 
Bechuanaland  question  is  the  question  here,  and  the  "  New 
Departure"  and  the  "Territorial  Government"  are  in  much 
favour.  The  hotel  has  been  besieged  with  visitors  every  day 
— some  of  them  fresh  from  Stellaland — others  from  Kuruman 
and  different  places  in  Bechuanaland.  Many  of  the  latter  I 
see  in  the  street,  especially  at  the  early  market,  which  I  have 
visited  on  purpose. 

•  •••••• 

We  are  in  great  danger  of  being  thrown  into  the  utmost 
disrepute,  I  do  not  say  with  philanthropists,  but  in  the  House 
of  Commons — in  the  face  of  English  public  opinion — by  the 
state  of  things  with  which  we  have  to  do.  I  say  this  after 
seeing  Hill  from  Stellaland,  and  other  friends  of  that  side,  as 
well  as  friends  of  Donovan.  Land,  land,  land — a  wearisome 
monotone.  You  have  done  the  Colony  a  good  turn  in 
London,  without  any  thanks.  Now  your  bantling  Native 
Department  is  hustled  out  of  the  way  of  eager  and  selfish 
men  who  care  for  you  and  the  Queen  whom  you  serve  only 
for  what  they  can  enter  in  money  columns.  Mr  Hill  goes  to 
Stellaland  with  an  annexation  petition  in  his  pocket.  Mr 
Donovan  advertizes  that  he  has  over  a  hundred  farms  in 
Mankoroane's  country,  which  he  offers  on  certain  terms  ;  but 
application  must  be  made  at  once.  Haste  on  both  sides,  and 
at  the  risk  of  grave  complications,  and  with  the  certainty  of 
increasing  the  difficulties  of  Her  Majesty's  Government. 
The  friends  of  Stellaland  disapprove  of  Donovan  ;  Donovan 
on  his  side  so  deeply  disapproves  of  the  Stellalanders  that 
he  wants  to  fight  them,  or  rather  to  induce  others  to 
do  so. 

But  if  Stellaland  people  get  what  they  want,  and  Donovan 
gets  what  he  wants,  what  remains  for  the  native  ?  Where  is 
our  prestige  for  fair  dealing  in  the  eyes  of  the  natives  of  the 
interior  ?    Where  do  we  stand  in  England  in  the  estimation 


324  JOHN  MACKENZIE 


of  any  class  of  politicians  ?  You  have  been  opposed  in  this 
Native  Department  from  the  first  by  those  not  far  from  you 
in  Cape  Town.  I  see  their  hand  in  certain  telegrams  to 
London — in  the  Stellaland  Mission — in  the  indecent  haste 
for  annexation  to  the  Cape  Colony.  The  whole  thing 
indicates  the  shallowest  ideas  of  the  realities  of  the 
situation. 

I  remember  our  discussions  about  a  Viceroy  as  compared 
with  combining  the  duties  of  High  Commissioner  and  Governor 
in  one  person.  I  trust  that  as  High  Commissioner  you  will 
be  able  to  uphold  the  Native  Department  which  is  being 
created,  and  not  allow  colonial  politicians  to  bring  it  into 
disrepute  almost  at  its  birth ;  what  they  need  to  be  taught  is 
simply  patte?ice ;  the  farms  will  become  saleable  ;  annexation 
will  take  place,  but  not  by  their  eager  haste.  After  seeing 
more  than  one  person  from  Stellaland  besides  Mr  Hill,  and 
comparing  their  statements,  I  found  Hill's  to  be  most  opposed 
to  the  Imperial  Government's  plan.  A  man  who  professed 
to  have  come  direct  from  Niekerk,  and  who  frankly  told  me 
when  leaving,  that  he  was  "off  to  write  to  Niekerk  "  what 
had  transpired  at  our  interview,  gave  me  a  much  more  cheer- 
ing picture  of  what  awaited  me  than  did  Mr  Hill.  According 
to  Hill,  I  had  no  chance  whatever,  only  he  kindly  said  he  did 
not  think  they  would  do  me  any  bodily  harm.  The  last 
words  of  the  other  man,  professing  to  be  directly  acting  for 
Niekerk,  were,  "  Well !  shall  I  say  to  Niekerk,  that  you  will 
see  him  and  talk  matters  over  with  him?"  I  answered,  "By 
all  means,  I  not  only  consent  to  see  Mr  Niekerk,  but  will  be 
glad  to  do  so ;  and  you  will  please  to  tell  him  so."  I  have  no 
hesitation  in  saying  before  entering  Stellaland,  that  just  as 
the  telegrams  to  London  were  meant  to  do  deadly  damage, 
so  was  this  visit  to  Stellaland.  Both  are  equally  reckless 
of  results ;  and  both  with  God's  help  will  be  equally 
futile. 

What  Colonial  Ministers  should  do  just  now — I  am  not 
thinking  about  this  ministry  or  that — is  to  come  forward  like 
men  with  a  quota  from  the  Colony  towards  the  Territorial 
Government  of  Bechuanaland.  That  is  what  is  expected  of 
them  by  all  classes  in  England,  as  you  yourself  are  aware.  I 
believe  this  will  be  done  by  the  Cape  Colony,  whether  by  Mr 
Scanlen  or  not. 

Territorial  Government  would  suit  the  respectable  men 
in  Stellaland  ;  it  is  quite  adapted  to  their  case,  and  their 


AS  DEPUTY  COMMISSIONER  325 

burdens  under  it  would  be  less  than  under  the  Colony.  It 
would  not  suit  the  books  of  impatient  traders  and  specu- 
lators, and  these  are  the  men  we  have  really  to  face  in  Stella- 
land  and  in  Mankoroane's  country. 

What  its  reception  will  be,  after  the  petition  referred  to 
has  been  so  hurriedly  signed,  I  can't  profess  to  say.  Time 
will  tell,  if  as  Hill  assures  me,  they  don't  shoot  me.  If  o?ie 
had  only  fair  play  !  In  the  meantime,  in  the  opinion  of 
some  your  Deputy  cuts  a  sorry  figure  going  into  a  country 
where  he  has  been  forestalled  by  colonial  wire-pullers ;  but 
the  truth  is  that  this  same  Colony  and  its  politicians  will 
sink  in  good  men's  estimation  on  account  of  what  has  just 
been  done;  when  people  contrast  their  abstention  from 
saving  Bechuanaland  to  the  Colony,  when  in  London  they 
could  have  done  something  toward  it,  with  their  rushing 
at  it  and  grabbing  it  as  soon  as  it  had  been  reserved  for  an 
entirely  different  fate  by  the  Imperial  Government. 

When  he  entered  the  hostile  territory,  this  new  and 
strange  Deputy  Commissioner  invaded  it  with  a  mule- 
waggon,  in  which  rode  his  wife  and  two  little  daughters. 
His  retinue  consisted  otherwise  of  his  son,  the  medical 
officer  of  the  force  and  private  secretary  of  his  father, 
and  some  men-servants.  There  was  not  a  fire-arm  in 
the  entire  force.  It  was  not,  indeed,  the  usual  plan  for 
subduing  a  young  and  vigorous  republic,  for  over- 
awing freebooters  and  scapegraces  as  well  as  deter- 
mined frontier  farmers  of  bitter  spirit,  who  all  hated 
the  idea  of  becoming  English  and  being  ruled  by  an 
ex-missionary.  It  was  not  the  plan  which  would 
have  occurred  to  a  Captain  Bower  or  won  the  ap- 
proval of  blustering  politicians.  But  men  of  another 
stamp,  men  like  General  Gordon,  would  have  seen 
through  it  and  applauded  it  as  more  effective  than 
cavalry  and  pom-poms.  Mackenzie  was  going  back 
to  his  own  country,  which  he  now  knew  better  even 
than  "  bonnie  Scotland."  He  had  travelled  over  all 
its  main  roads,  knew  its  towns  and  their  chiefs  per- 
sonally, some  of  them  intimately.  He  had  ridden 
often  across  and  across  it  on  horseback,  alone,  by 


326  JOHN  MACKENZIE 


night  and  day,  for  one  hundred  miles  or  more.  By 
bright  moonlight  he  knew  the  aspect  of  its  desert 
stretches  and  the  shadows  of  its  sad,  solitary  kopjes. 
At  noontide  its  fierce  heat  had  struck  horse  and  rider 
with  sun  stabs  from  above,  and  wearied  them  with  the 
dull  waves  of  fiery  air  which  the  hard  bare  earth 
threw  up.  He  knew  also  the  white  man  of  the  region, 
as  well  as  the  black  man  and  the  grey  sand.  He  was 
not  going  into  the  unknown  therefore,  running  into  a 
foolish  peril.  He  knew  that  the  best  work  would  be 
done  by  moral  influences,  and  he  proposed  to  use  all 
that  were  at  his  disposal.  If  he  had  entered  alone 
with  one  hundred  volunteers  at  his  back,  his  mission 
would  have  had  a  military,  coercive  character.  Enter- 
ing as  he  did,  he  appeared  as  one  who  came  con- 
fidently and  peacefully  to  make  his  home  in  his 
own  land.  The  chiefs  who  had  complained  that  the 
White  Queen's  Government  "  was  always  going  away  " 
would  see  that  it  had  come  to  stay.  The  Boers  and 
the  other  whites  would  see  that  the  new  Deputy 
Commissioner  was  not  only  a  man  of  peace,  but  a 
man  who  trusted  them.  A  commander  with  armed 
volunteers  they  would  instinctively  feel  to  be  against 
them,  but  a  Commissioner  who  brought  his  family 
among  the  avowed  enemies  of  the  Queen,  how  was  he 
to  be  met? 

The  first  point  in  Bechuanaland  to  which  Mac- 
kenzie went  was  naturally  Taungs,  where  Mankoroane, 
the  chief  of  that  part  of  South  Bechuanaland,  lived. 
He  arrived  there  on  Wednesday,  April  30th,  1884. 
His  object  was  to  negotiate  a  treaty  with  Mankoroane 
which  would  place  that  region  completely  under  the 
Queen's  dominion.  For  three  days  the  diplomatic  battle 
raged — Mackenzie  single-handed  against  the  "strenu- 
ous, although  covert,  opposition  of  a  few  white  men,  who 
profess  to  be  friends  and  advisers  of  Mankoroane."  ^ 
^  C— 4194,  p.  16. 


AS  DEPUTY  COMMISSIONER  327 


The  Deputy  Commissioner  did  not  attempt  to  brow- 
beat them  or  to  drive  the  chief.  He  calmly  and  re- 
peatedly stated  the  facts  connected  with  his  appear- 
ance as  the  representative  of  the  Queen,  showed  them 
the  advantage  to  all  concerned  of  a  treaty  that  would 
make  a  strong  and  stable  government  possible,  and 
gave  his  reasons  for  not  blindly  swallowing  all  the 
land-claims  of  the  white  "  agent "  and  his  friends. 
The  white  men  tried  every  form  of  persuasion  upon 
Mankoroane  and  his  headmen.  But  so  bitter  and 
angry  did  their  language  against  Mackenzie  become, 
that  at  last  the  shrewd  old  native  broke  out  with  the 
stinging  retort,  "  Why  do  you  object  to  the  messenger 
of  your  own  Queen  ?  If  I  give  myself  up  entirely  to 
her  why  are  you  Englishmen  afraid  ? "  Then  Mac- 
kenzie knew  that  he  had  won.  Of  course  there  were 
white  men  even  at  Taungs  who  had  welcomed  him 
and  his  administrative  plans  from  the  first.  They 
were  glad  to  see  the  unscrupulous  defeated,  and  glad 
to  see  a  treaty  signed  by  which  Mankoroane  and  his 
tribe  surrendered  jurisdiction  within  his  territories  to 
the  Queen's  Government.  "  The  opposition  to  the 
treaty  then  took  up  the  attitude  that  they  had  not 
properly  understood  it  ;  it  was  really  good,  and  ought 
to  be  signed  at  once."  ^ 

The  Deputy  Commissioner  then  faced  what  was 
considered  a  most  critical  part  of  his  undertaking, 
namely,  the  visit  to  Vryburg.  It  was  not  without 
danger,  of  course  ;  but  the  amount  of  danger  was  very 
largely  dependent,  as  in  all  such  cases,  upon  the 
personal  bearing  and  methods  of  the  man  who 
encountered  it.  Major  Stanley  Lowe  who  had  been 
so  long  identified  with  Bechuanaland,  and  whom 
Mackenzie  had  appointed  to  the  task  of  raising  a 
small  body  of  volunteers  for  service  as  a  border 
police,  accompanied  the  party.  His  presence  was 
1  C— 4194,  p.  16. 


328 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


necessary,  in  order  to  discover  what  number  of  police 
the  situation  demanded,  and  how  they  could  be  best 
disposed  over  the  country.  There  had  come  to 
Taungs  a  message  from  the  "  Administrator "  of 
Stellaland,  Mr  G.  J.  Van  Niekerk,  inviting  Mackenzie 
to  go  round  by  his  farm  on  his  way  to  Vryburg, 
as  the  "  government  offices "  were  at  his  place. 
Mackenzie  agreed,  made  the  detour,  spent  a  day  with 
the  "  Administrator,"  and  then  went  on  to  Vryburg, 
where  he  arrived  on  Friday,  May  9th.  The  rough 
and  ready  frontiersmen  had  a  certain  feeling  for  the 
fitness  of  things,  and  resolved  to  do  all  honour  to  the 
representative  of  the  Queen.  Accordingly,  they  rode 
out  on  horseback  to  meet  the  waggons,  carrying  their 
gloomy  flag  with  them.  After  a  formal  greeting  they 
turned  and  escorted  the  Deputy  Commissioner  into 
the  town.  It  is  significant  of  the  moral  effect  of 
Mackenzie's  entire  method  of  meeting  the  situation, 
that  these  men  sent  a  messenger  in  advance  of  their 
own  cavalcade  to  say  that  Mrs  Mackenzie  must  not  be 
alarmed  when  she  saw  them  approach,  as  they  were 
bent  only  on  peace.  If  Mackenzie  had  ridden 
with  imperial  pride,  at  the  head  of  a  hundred  volun- 
teers, armed  with  rifles,  there  would  have  been  no 
such  kindly  message  as  that,  itself  a  suggester  and 
forerunner  of  peace.  There  might  have  been  an 
ambuscade. 

The  same  afternoon  a  meeting  was  convened,  at 
which  more  than  fifty  men  were  present.  Mackenzie's 
first  step  was  to  read  his  commission,  and  to  announce 
that  the  Queen's  Protectorate  had  been  established  in 
Bechuanaland,  including  Stellaland,  This  was  a 
complete  and  overwhelming  surprise.  It  took  some 
days  of  explanation  and  rumination  for  some  of  the 
leading  and  most  daring  spirits  to  realise  that,  in  the 
eyes  of  the  world,  no  such  government  as  Stellaland 
existed,  and  that  they  were  now  under  Queen  Victoria  ! 


AS  DEPUTY  COMMISSIONER  329 

For  a  week  Mackenzie  remained  at  this  place,  spend- 
ing day  after  day,  in  private  and  personal  conferences 
with  the  Stellalanders.  It  is  only  right  to  say  that  he 
amazed  those  who  watched  him  sympathetically,  with 
the  untiring  courtesy  and  invincible  patience  of  his 
bearing.  He  sat  for  hours  in  committee  meetings, 
answering  questions,  listening  to  protests  against  the 
entire  procedure.  These  were  not  always  couched  in 
polite  language.  Indeed,  so  strong  was  the  spirit  of 
a  certain  group,  and  so  vehement  their  denunciations 
of  the  Queen  and  the  country  whom  Mackenzie  repre- 
sented, and  yet  so  silent  and  imperturbable  was  the 
Deputy  Commissioner,  that  Stanley  Lowe  rushed  out 
of  the  place  and,  after  the  relief  of  some  indignant 
expletives,  said  to  his  son  :  "  Mackenzie,  your  father 
must  be  more  than  human  to  stand  all  that  as 
he  does !  "  But  it  was  this  wise,  patient,  and 
frank  dealing  which  gained  for  him  his  remarkable 
victory. 

Van  Niekerk  arrived  on  the  Saturday  evening  from 
his  farm.  All  Monday  the  Volks  Committee,  a  duly 
elected  body  and  the  nucleus  of  a  Raad,  through  which 
the  affairs  of  the  republic  were  conducted,  discussed 
the  situation.  They  drew  up  a  list  of  eleven  questions, 
which  they  asked  Mackenzie  to  answer  before  them 
the  same  evening.  Some  of  these  he  dealt  with  on 
the  spot,  some  he  deferred  to  the  following  day.  On 
all  subjects  he  tried  to  take  a  position  which  his 
auditors  would  feel  to  be  at  once  fair  and  reasonable, 
both  from  his  and  from  their  own  points  of  view.  To 
the  class  of  original  volunteers,  he  promised  that  their 
farms  would  be  given,  but  if  the  particular  farm  now 
claimed  were  needed  for  Governmental  purposes,  or 
reserved  for  the  natives,  an  equivalent  farm  or  a  fair 
price  in  cash  would  be  given.  Regarding  all  other 
farm  claims,  which  were  numerous,  Mackenzie  said 
that  a  Land  Commission  would  have  to  be  appointed 


330 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


at  the  earliest  possible  opportunity  to  inquire  into 
their  history  and  validity.  On  the  delicate  subject  of 
the  money  obligations  of  Stellaland  he  again  frankly 
accepted  the  situation,  but  threw  responsibility  back 
upon  themselves.  In  accepting  their  assets  he  must 
also  accept  their  debts.  But  these  must  be  carefully 
scrutinised,  and  they  must  be  all  paid  by  the  taxation 
of  the  farmers  themselves,  and  not  out  of  imperial 
funds. 

The  "  Administrator "  was  anxious  to  be  clear 
regarding  the  actual  relations  now  established,  and 
the  following  conversation  took  place  in  which  the 
firmness  of  Mackenzie  appears. 

The  Administrator.  Must  I  understand  that  by  read- 
ing of  his  Commission,  Mr  Mackenzie  takes  over  the  country 
as  British  territory,  and  as  part  of  Bechuanaland  ? 

Mr  Mackenzie.  That  is  the  fact. 

The  Administrator.  Does  Mr  Mackenzie,  by  reading 
the  Commission,  mean  to  imply  that  the  Government  of 
Stellaland  ceases  to  exist  ? 

Mr  Mackenzie.  It  stands  to  reason  that  two  govern- 
ments cannot  exist  in  one  country.  But,  in  the  spirit  in 
which  we  have  been  discussing  matters  this  evening,  it  is  my 
wish  to  receive,  over  the  heads  of  the  people  here,  all  that 
will  enable  the  incoming  Government  to  carry  on  the 
government  of  the  country  and  promote  its  prosperity. 

The  Administrator  wishes  to  know  whether  Mr 
Mackenzie  intends  to  assume  the  reins  of  government  at 
once. 

Mr  Mackenzie.  The  question  is  already  answered  in  my 
answer  about  the  proclamation  ;  Her  Majesty's  Government 
cannot  both  be  in  and  out  of  the  country.  With  regard  to 
the  immediate  change  of  affairs,  it  is  my  hope  to  entrust 
them  into  hands  which  will  be  suitable  and  agreeable  also, 
from  the  people's  point  of  view. 

The  last  words  refer  to  an  act  by  which  the 
Deputy  Commissioner  sought  to  win  over  completely 
the  still  hostile  minority.    Under  the  power  given  him 


AS  DEPUTY  COMMISSIONER  331 


by  the  High  Commissioner  he  nominated,  as  his 
Assistant  Commissioner  for  that  part  of  Bechuanaland, 
whom  but  G.  J.  Van  Niekerk  himself?  No  one 
expected  this,  and  it  certainly  produced  much  astonish- 
ment in  Stellaland.  Here  was  a  British  officer,  who 
showed  much  firmness  in  his  representation  of  the 
Imperial  Government,  strong  determination  to  have 
the  presence  and  authority  of  that  government  recog- 
nised and  made  effective  at  once  ;  and  yet  he  was 
willing  to  deal  fairly  with  Dutchmen,  and  even  to  use 
their  Administrator  as  his  assistant.  The  people, 
except  those  who  already  disliked  Van  Niekerk,  were 
very  much  pleased.  The  Volks  Committee  formally 
approved  of  the  appointment,  ad  interim,  "  until  such 
time  as  it  should  be  decided  whether  the  Colonial 
Government  takes  over  this  territory."  This  was  the 
disturbing  feature  in  Mackenzie's  work  at  Vryburg. 
Under  the  advice  of  some  English-born  colonists  at 
Cape  Town  and  Kimberley,  the  Stellalanders  had 
petitioned  for  annexation  to  the  Cape  Colony.  Men 
like  Niekerk  went  into  this  simply  to  stave  off  the 
evil  day,  and  with  the  real  determination  to  carry  out 
their  original  intention  of  uniting  with  the  Transvaal 
or  remaining  independent.  But  so  strong  was  the 
majority  who  now  favoured  Mackenzie's  plans  that  it 
seemed  possible,  if  Van  Niekerk  would  take  the  oath 
of  office,  to  win  them  all  over. 

Unfortunately  Mackenzie  was  expected  to  hasten 
north,  to  Montsioa's  country,  and  he  was  compelled 
to  make  a  temporary  arrangement  with  the  Adminis- 
trator and  the  inhabitants  of  Stellaland.  In  the 
meantime,  with  the  assistance  of  Major  Stanley  Lowe, 
peace  and  order  could  be  maintained  for  a  few  weeks 
till  his  return. 

Mackenzie  was  himself  much  surprised  at  his 
success.  That  there  were  some  men  unreconciled  in 
Stellaland  he  well  knew.    But  he  received  unmistak- 


332 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


able  proof  that  the  very  large  majority  of  the  white 
men — Boers,  English,  Colonials,  and  others — believed 
in  him,  and  were  ready  to  welcome  his  administration. 
The  men  who  were  engaged  at  Cape  Town  in  the 
pleasant  task  of"  tripping  him  up,"  as  he  afterwards  put 
it,  denied  that  he  had  won  over  the  white  population. 
Of  course  they  could  not  have  admitted  that  fact  and 
tripped  him  up  at  the  same  time.  We  shall  see  later 
what  means  they  used  to  destroy  his  success,  and  even 
to  conceal  the  proofs  of  it  when  these  were  at  last 
put  into  the  one  indisputable  form  of  a  popular 
vote. 

On  his  way  to  Montsioa's  country  the  Deputy  Com- 
missioner paid  a  passing  visit  to  Moshette  at  Kunwana. 
This  was  one  of  the  chiefs  whom  the  Boers  had  used 
as  a  cat's  paw,  and  whom  they  had  represented  as 
longing  to  be  under  the  Transvaal.  Mackenzie  knew 
the  representation  had  been  false,  but  looked  upon  the 
chief  as  paying  the  price  of  his  past  misdeeds.  Yet 
it  was  hard  not  to  sympathise  with  the  wretched 
man  in  his  chagrin  and  dismay.  The  visit  to  Kun- 
wana was  naturally  not  a  cheering  one  for  either 
party,  since  it  was  Mackenzie's  duty  to  announce  to 
Moshette  that  the  rumours  he  had  heard  were  true  ; 
he  was  now  and  henceforth  under  the  Transvaal 
Government.  ^ 

Mackenzie  arrived  at  Mafeking  on  Tuesday,  May 
20th,  1884,  and  entered  immediately  into  conference 
with  the  heroic  old  chief  Montsioa.  Some  one  ought 
to  write  the  life  of  this  man,  and  call  his  book  "  The 
First  Hero  of  Mafeking."  He  would  find  in  Mont- 
sioa's life-long  struggle  with  the  Boers  for  the  freedom 
of  his  country  abundance  of  stirring  adventure.  He 
would  find  in  Montsioa's  relations  to  the  British 
Government  much  food  for  humiliating  reflection — the 
black  chieftain  showing  himself  so  much  more  noble  in 

1  C— 4194,  PP-  36,  37- 


AS  DEPUTY  COMMISSIONER  333 


patience,  in  his  loyal  trust,  in  frank  sincerity,  than  the 
ever-changeful  Government  whose  protection  he  be- 
lieved in  and  most  earnestly  sought.  Montsioa  could 
not  send  pithy  and  humorous  telegrams  when  be- 
sieged, but  he  knew  how  to  send  messages  of  another 
kind.  As  far  back  as  May  1883,  Mr  Nicholas  Gey 
van  Pittius  had  attempted  to  claim  Barolong  land 
outside  the  Transvaal  border.  Montsioa  based  his 
denial  of  all  claims  firmly  upon  the  Pretoria  Conven- 
tion of  1 88 1.  In  March  1884  he  again  addressed 
"  the  Gentlemen  Volunteers,  Rooi-Grond,"  who  felt 
the  time  had  come  for  surveying  and  settling  his 
country.  Montsioa,  the  real  gentleman  throughout 
these  negotiations,  says,  "  I  warn  you  again  as  a  friend 
that  I  will  not  let  you  do  anything  of  that  kind."  A 
month  later  the  same  "  Gentlemen  Volunteers  "  issued 
another  threat  and  dated  it  from  "  Land  Goosen,"  as 
they  hoped  to  rename  the  territory.  Montsioa 
answered  curtly,  "  My  friends,  I  do  not  know  the 
Land  Goosen  you  write  of  My  people  are  living  on 
the  lands  their  fathers  have  lived  on — the  lands  of 
the  Barolong." 

When  Mackenzie  reached  Mafeking  the  entire 
population  were  jubilant.  Montsioa  at  once  signed  a 
treaty,  in  which  he  gave  the  British  Government 
jurisdiction  within  his  country  and  power  to  raise 
taxes  for  the  defrayal  of  expenses.  The  Boers,  led 
now  by  Gey  van  Pittius,  had  begun  to  make  a  little 
town  which  they  called  Rooi  Grond,  part  of  which 
was  in  the  Transvaal  and  part  in  Montsioa's  territory. 
These  worthless  huts  were,  of  course,  put  there  to 
establish  claims,  and  were  not  much  occupied.  Mac- 
kenzie rode  over  to  meet  with  these  Boers,  but  he 
found  them  very  "  shy."  They  formed  an  armed  and 
mounted  band  of  about  forty  men,  as  reckless  char- 
acters as  could  be  found  in  South  Africa,  men  who 
stooped  to  do  many  cruel  and  murderous  acts  upon 


334 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


white  men  as  well  as  black.  With  a  little  company 
of  half-a-dozen,  including  his  son  and  the  Rev.  C.  S. 
Franklin,  a  Wesleyan  Missionary  who  later  acted  as 
his  secretary,  he  rode  over  to  the  settlement.  The 
Boer  laager  was  a  little  way  from  the  water  to  which 
Mackenzie  resolved  to  send  his  horses  to  drink.  This 
left  him  completely  at  the  mercy  of  Gey  van  Pittius. 
When  the  latter  sent  two  men  on  horseback  to  inquire 
what  he  wanted,  Mackenzie  began  without  loss  of 
time  to  read  his  commission  and  announcement  of  the 
Queen's  Protectorate.  "  But  we  were  not  told  to 
listen  to  that,"  the  horsemen  said,  and  rode  away  as 
if  from  a  more  material  volley,  leaving  the  Deputy 
Commissioner  to  shout  the  last  words  after  them  as 
they  clattered  off. 

These  desperadoes  took  advantage  of  the  chance 
given  them,  when  all  the  Barolong  men  were  gathered 
in  the  town  to  hear  and  celebrate  the  making  of  the 
treaty,  and  swooped  down  upon  some  cattle  -  posts 
about  fifteen  miles  north  of  the  town.  They  captured 
booty  worth  more  than  ;^i5oo,  and  carried  it  across 
the  line  into  the  Transvaal  ;  there  they  were  at  once 
safe,  for  the  Barolong  would  not  cross  that  line  even 
to  recapture  their  cattle  until  the  White  Queen  or  her 
servants  should  allow  them.  This  incident  is  men- 
tioned here  because  it  was  the  occasion  for  a  some- 
what adventurous  trip  which  Mackenzie  made.  He 
drove  across  the  border  to  Zeerust,  into  the  very 
district  where  the  cattle  had  been  taken  for  distribu- 
tion. Many  of  the  desperadoes  were  there,  and  he 
saw  them.  Some  of  them  were  men  whom  he  had 
known  in  former  days,  and  they  saw  him.  It  was 
gratifying  to  find  that  a  large  number  of  the  most 
respectable  burghers  disowned  and  disliked  these 
brutal  cattle  raids  ;  and  yet  Mackenzie's  complaint  to 
the  magistrate  of  the  district  was  quite  fruitless.  It 
was  all  reported  at  Pretoria,  of  course,  as  indeed  every 


AS  DEPUTY  COMMISSIONER  335 


occurrence  on  that  western  border  was  reported  con- 
tinually. But  the  Transvaal  Government  sent  back 
word  to  the  Zeerust  magistrate  that  he  must  take  no 
action.^  Thus  the  poor  Barolong  found  that  their 
first  experience  of  British  protection  was  just  this  : 
they  must  never  cross  that  line  for  revenge  or  even 
for  the  recovery  of  their  property  ! 

Mackenzie's  efforts  to  reach  the  Goshen  freebooters 
were  all  fruitless.  These  men  having  no  real  domicile 
in  Bechuanaland,  and  making  the  Transvaal  the  base 
of  their  operations,  could  not  be  brought  under  his 
official  and  personal  influence,  as  the  Stellalanders  had 
been.  They  were,  besides,  almost  all  men  of  a  wilder 
and  more  lawless  kind,  who  were  determined  to  use 
the  roughest  means  for  crushing  the  indomitable 
Montsioa  and  seizing  his  lands.  Shortly  after 
Mackenzie's  departure,  there  was  some  actual  fighting. 
The  Barolong  burned  the  unoccupied  huts  on  their 
side  of  the  border  ;  and  the  Boers  at  once  sent  word 
all  over  South  Africa,  that  the  savages  had  come  upon 
their  homes,  with  women  and  children  in  them,  and 
destroyed  them  with  ruthless  cruelty.  Reprisals  were 
now  felt  to  be  legitimate,  and  an  attack  was  made  by 
Transvaal  citizens,  using  Transvaal  territory  as  their 
base,  upon  territory  which  had  but  just  been  pro- 
claimed as  under  the  protection  of  the  Queen.  Of 
course  these  men  would  not  have  done  this,  if  there  had 
been  even  fifty  British  police,  under  a  British  officer, 
on  the  spot.  The  Pretoria  Government,  which  knew 
all  and  allowed  all  that  went  on,  would  most  assuredly 
have  prevented  any  act  which  would  inevitably  and  at 
once  have  meant  a  conflict  with  Great  Britain.  The 
day  for  that  had  not  yet  come  within  sight.  But 
the  Pretoria  Government  knew  all  the  cross  winds  that 
were  blowing  at  Cape  Town,  knew  that  the  Cape 
ministry  were  thwarting  Mackenzie,  preventing  the 

1  C— 4194,  P-  112. 


336  JOHN  MACKENZIE 


sending  of  an  efficient  police  force,  scheming  for  a 
Joint-Protectorate  of  Bechuanaland  by  Cape  Colony 
and  the  Transvaal,  and  knew  that  they  were  safe  to 
allow  these  border  raids  to  go  on.  In  fact,  they  soon 
saw  that,  afraid  as  the  High  Commissioner  was  of  an 
open  conflict,  their  best  plan  was  to  let  the  disorder 
grow  worse,  the  fierce  will  of  the  Goshenites  to  grow 
fiercer.  In  the  meantime,  poor  Montsioa  saw  once 
more  that  the  best  government  he  knew  of  "  had 
gone  away "  from  his  town,  leaving  him  more  hated 
and  less  powerful  than  ever,  before  his  foes. 

Mackenzie  made  the  remainder  of  his  tour  round 
northern  and  western  Bechuanaland  more  rapidly. 
He  was  detained  at  one  place,  where  natives  had  lifted 
the  cattle  of  some  white  people,  by  the  determination  to 
exert  "  even-handed  justice "  upon  black  as  well  as 
white  marauders.  He  was  determined  that  no  one 
should  be  able  to  accuse  him  of  showing  any  partiality 
for  natives. 

At  Kuruman  he  left  his  wife  and  daughters, 
appointed  his  son  to  stem  the  progress  of  small-pox, 
by  making  a  vaccinating  tour  through  the  infested 
region,  and  made  his  own  way  back  to  Taungs.  He 
reached  that  place  at  the  end  of  June,  and  at  once 
was  in  communication  again  with  the  Stellalanders. 
A  deputation  was  sent  to  meet  him  from  the  Volks 
Committee,  the  body  in  whom  now  supreme  power 
among  the  white  settlers  rested.  Their  report  to  him 
was  very  interesting.  The  first  fact  was  that  Niekerk 
had  forsaken  them,  declining  all  responsibtility  for  he 
government  of  the  country  under  Mackenzie.  The 
second  fact  was  that  the  Volks  Committee  had 
assumed  full  control  of  the  situation,  had  communi- 
cated with  Cape  Town,  and  found  that  the  prospects 
of  annexation  to  the  Colony  were  so  dim  and  confused 
that  no  action  could  be  taken  in  relation  to  them. 
The  third  fact  was  that  they  wished  Mackenzie  at 


AS  DEPUTY  COMMISSIONER  337 


once  to  go  over  the  terms  of  submission  to  the 
Imperial  Government,  then  to  go  to  Vryburg  "  and 
hoist  the  British  flag."  "  Such,"  says  Mackenzie  to 
Robinson  with  emphasis,  "  such  was  the  request  of 
Dutch-speaking  as  well  as  English-speaking  members 
of  the  Deputation."  ^  Niekerk  was  given  one  more 
chance  to  take  the  oath  of  allegiance  and  accept  the 
office,  which  he  had  formerly  agreed  to  accept.  But 
he  refused,  choosing  to  remain  a  Transvaal  citizen, 
and  maintaining  his  residence  within  the  Transvaal. 
Mackenzie  was  informed  by  the  Stellalanders  that  at 
this  very  time  he  was  promising  to  his  own  party  that 
the  country  would  be  annexed  to  the  Transvaal, 
while  he  professed  at  Cape  Town  to  be  anxious  for 
annexation  to  the  Colony. 

When  Mackenzie  went  to  Vryburg,  he  was  received 
with  much  more  than  the  studious  courtesy  of  the 
former  occasion.  There  was  some  fear  of  hostile 
action  from  Niekerk,  and  armed  horsemen  went  out 
several  hours  ride  to  meet  the  Deputy  Commissioner, 
and  escort  him  to  the  town.  He  was  conducted  to 
the  court-house,  and  there  it  was  arranged  that  a  full 
meeting  of  the  citizens  should  be  held  a  week  later, 
on  a  Monday.  In  the  interval,  several  of  the  leading 
men  in  the  place,  including  Mr  Bodenstein,  a  brother 
of  the  chairman  of  the  Transvaal  Volksraad,  went  out 
in  different  directions  to  visit  the  farmers  and  state 
the  facts  fully  to  them,  arguing  for  co-operation  with 
Mackenzie.  While  they  were  still  away  Mackenzie 
went  on  with  his  work,  as  an  Imperial  officer  in  actual 
authority.  He  found  all  the  officers  of  the  Govern- 
ment ready  to  be  sworn  in,  and  they  were  sworn  in. 
Some  new  appointments  were  made.  On  the  day 
after  his  arrival  there  was  a  strong  desire  expressed, 
especially  by  farmers  who  had  come  from  the  Colony, 
to  hoist  the  British  flag.      But  the  Deputy  Com- 

1  C— 4194,  p.  114. 
Y 


338 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


missioner  was  very  careful  to  avoid  any  rash  step, 
which  might  bring  dishonour  on  that  flag  ;  so  he  put 
the  proposal  off.  On  the  following  Monday  the 
public  meeting  was  largely  attended.  Three  resolu- 
tions were  proposed  and  unanimously  adopted,  in 
which  the  Stellalanders,  while  still  hoping  for  annexa- 
tion to  Cape  Colony,  accepted  British  rule.  In  the 
midst  of  these  resolutions  the  following  words  occur  : 
"  This  meeting  further  desires  hereby  to  record  its 
welcome  to  John  Mackenzie,  Esquire,  Her  Majesty's 
Representative  and  Deputy  Commissioner  for  Bechu- 
analand,  as  the  restorer  of  peace  and  prosperity  to 
this  country,  and  call  upon  all  lovers  of  peace  in 
Stellaland  to  co-operate  under  Her  Majesty's  rule  for 
the  maintenance  of  law  and  order,  and  the  promotion 
of  the  prosperity  of  the  country  and  its  inhabitants." 
Perhaps  the  most  significant  of  the  resolutions  was 
that  in  which  the  Stellalanders  named  G.  J.  Van 
Niekerk  and  A.  J.  G.  De  la  Rey,  as  men  who  were 
inciting  "  the  inhabitants  of  Stellaland  to  oppose  law 
and  order  in  this  territory,  now  under  Her  Majesty's 
rule."  The  resolution  further  stated  that  these  two 
men  were  holding  public  meetings  for  these  "  treason- 
able purposes  "  within  the  Transvaal,  and  urged  the 
High  Commissioner  to  call  the  attention  of  the  South 
African  Republic  to  these  "  unlawful  acts." 

Mackenzie's  triumph  in  Stellaland  was  complete. 
Out  of  the  burghers  he  enrolled  a  small  force  of 
twenty-five  men,  for  duty  in  that  district ;  the  anti- 
British  element  was  in  the  minority,  and  had  already 
lost  moral  influence  by  holding  meetings  across  the 
new  border  in  the  Transvaal.  So  enthusiastic  were 
the  people,  that  on  that  second  meeting  they  insisted 
on  hoisting  the  British  flag.  On  hearing  that  this 
might  be  done,  Sir  Hercules  Robinson  telegraphed 
in  alarm  : — 

Hoisting  the  British  flag  is  technically  the  symbol  of 


AS  DEPUTY  COMMISSIONER  339 


sovereignty ;  Bechuanaland  is  only  native  territory  under 
a  British  Protectorate  ;  and  you  are  not  justified  in  altering 
the  status  without  the  express  sanction  of  Her  Majesty's 
Government. 

One  can  hardly  believe  that  the  British  High 
Commissioner  sent  that  telegram  only  eighteen  years 
ago,  concerning  the  territory  just  north  of  Kimberley. 
Mackenzie's  answer  by  telegram  on  August  3rd  was 
as  follows  : — 

As  to  the  flag,  please  remember  the  flag  of  Stellaland  was 
flying  when  I  entered  Vryburg.  The  people  themselves  went 
and  quietly  took  it  down.  I  declined  then  to  hoist  our 
flag  until  the  public  meeting  had  taken  place.  After  the 
first  meeting  I  was  importuned  to  hoist  it.  I  declined  till 
the  second  or  adjourned  meeting  had  taken  place.  After  it 
I  felt  bound  to  hoist  it.  They  had  voluntarily  pulled  down 
their  flag,  which  had  been  handed  to  me.  There  is  such  a 
thing  as  inducing  people  to  distrust  you.  Had  the  flag  not 
been  hoisted  after  the  meeting  I  should  have  lost  the  support 
of  the  best  people  here.  All  the  officers  have  taken  the  oath. 
We  have  been  exercising  sovereignty  in  Stellaland  since  we 
first  set  foot  in  it.  From  the  first  there  has  been  more  than 
a  Protectorate  here, 

"  There  is  such  a  thing  as  inducing  people  to  dis- 
trust you,"  might  be  written  as  a  fair  judgment  upon 
most  of  Great  Britain's  dealings  alike  with  Boer  and 
black  in  South  Africa. 

We  shall  soon  see  how  and  by  whom  that  flag  was 
taken  down,  and  the  Stellalander  was  "  induced  to  dis- 
trust "  once  more.  On  the  day  on  which  Mackenzie 
sent  this  telegram  about  the  flag,  he  had  received 
Robinson's  message  of  July  30th,  inviting  him  to 
"  visit  Cape  Town,"  and  appointing  Mr  Cecil  Rhodes 
to  take  his  place.  That  was  the  end  of  John  Mackenzie's 
service  of  his  Queen  as  Deputy  Commissioner.  He  was 
not  unprepared  for  this  event,  for  even  while  carrying 
on  his  work  as  successfully  as  we  have  seen,  his  corre- 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


spondence  with  Government  House,  Cape  Town,  had 
shown  him  that  hostile  forces  were  gradually  gaining 
the  upper  hand  there,  forces  which  openly  sought  his 
overthrow,  but  really  aimed  at  other  political  and 
personal  objects  beyond  himself  He  was  in  the  way 
of  land  schemes  and  Boer  schemes.  The  land  schemers 
were  many  of  them  well-known  British  subjects,  but 
they  were  willing  to  work  with  citizens  of  the  Transvaal 
to  defeat  an  Imperial  officer,  and  hinder  Imperial  de- 
velopments in  Bechuanaland.  The  Boer  schemers  were 
well-known  at  Pretoria  and  Cape  Town  to  cherish  the 
purpose  of  extending  the  South  African  Republic  over 
the  territory  now  proclaimed  as  a  British  Protectorate  ; 
and  they  saw  that  if  Mackenzie  continued  in  Bechuana- 
land their  dreams  must  perish.  These  two  sets  of  men 
united  their  influence  in  Bechuanaland  and  at  Cape 
Town  to  "  eliminate,"  as  Mr  Rhodes  openly  confessed 
it,  "  eliminate  the  Imperial  factor."  How  they  tried  this 
and  succeeded,  we  must  now  see. 

When  Mackenzie  went  north  from  Cape  Town  in 
April,  he  felt  himself  in  perfect  accord  with  Sir  Hercules 
Robinson  regarding  the  general  policy  which  he  was  to 
pursue.  It  was  understood  that  he  would  require  200 
police  to  maintain  order  in  Bechuanaland,  and  Robin- 
son approved  the  appointment  of  Major  Stanley  Lowe 
to  enrol  and  organise  this  force.  Weeks  were  allowed 
to  pass  during  which  the  enrolment  of  police  went 
on  slowly,  being  hindered  partly  by  the  general 
uncertainty  regarding  the  real  attitude  of  the  respec- 
tive o^overnments  to  one  another  and  to  Bechuana- 
land,  and  partly  by  obstacles  cast  in  the  way  of  Major 
Lowe  from  Cape  Town.  No  real  vigorous  measures 
were  taken  to  assist  Mackenzie  and  his  chief  officer  in 
this  work. 

In  the  month  of  April  the  letters  of  Robinson  show 
him  cordial  to  his  Deputy  Commissioner.  He  refers  to 
the  proposal  for  the  annexation  of  Bechuanaland  to 


AS  DEPUTY  COMMISSIONER  341 


Cape  Colony,  and  confesses  that  this  may  be  the  best 
solution  of  their  troubles.  He  looks  forward,  however, 
to  Mackenzie's  expected  visit  to  Cape  Town,  upon 
which  they  had  agreed.  This  visit  was  to  be  made 
immediately  after  Mackenzie  had  completed  his  first 
survey  of  his  territory  in  order  to  discuss  the 
whole  situation  and  map  out  the  details  with  his 
chief.  In  one  of  these  letters  he  says,  "  You  may 
rely,  under  any  circumstances,  upon  my  fullest 
confidence  and  support."  In  May  he  writes  with 
enthusiasm  concerning  what  he  calls  Mackenzie's 
"  complete  success  at  Vryburg " ;  he  thinks  that 
Mackenzie  "  acted  wisely  in  swallowing  Mr  Niekerk  "  ; 
likewise  was  he  pleased  with  the  work  done  at 
Taungs ;  Robinson  added  that  he  was  "  sure  that 
Lord  Derby  and  the  Colonial  Office  will  be  very 
pleased  at  the  way  you  have  got  over  the  two  out 
of  your  three  difficulties."  On  May  25,  he  writes 
again,  saying,  that  he  expected  Mackenzie  to  be  at 
that  time  "  about  to  start  for  Cape  Town."  In  this 
letter  the  first  difficulty  is  raised  regarding  the  cost 
of  the  police  force  which  had  been  promised  to 
Mackenzie,  and  without  which  he  would  never  have 
undertaken  this  task. 

We  estimate  that  the  50  police  you  ask  for  will  cost 
annually  about  ;£^i2oo,  and  the  equipment  at  starting  about 
;^5ooo  more.  Have  you  considered  where  all  this  money 
is  to  come  from,  especially  if  the  Stellalanders  won't  pay  for 
Police,  as  the  papers  seem  to  indicate  ?  However,  I  shall  be 
able  to  go  into  this  matter  with  you  soon  when  you  get 
down  here. 

On  the  1 6th  of  June,  Robinson  is  still  convinced  of 
Mackenzie's  remarkable  success. 

"I  was,"  he  says,  "very  glad  to  receive  yours  of  the  31st 
May  from  Mafeking,  and  delighted  to  find  that  you  got  on 
so  much  better  with  the  Goshenites  than  I  anticipated.  I 
am  pressing  the  Transvaal  Government  to  come  down  on 


342 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


that  nest  of  ruffians  who  have  established  themselves  just 
within  the  Transvaal  border." 

In  this  letter  he  further  refers  to  the  fact  that  Mr 
Niekerk  was  corresponding  with  persons  at  Cape 
Town,  and  saying  that  the  Stellalander  people  were 
violently  opposed  to  Mackenzie's  protectorate  or  terri- 
torial form  of  government.  This  leads  him  to  refer  to 
the  political  situation  at  Cape  Town  ; 

"  My  new  ministry  is  not  strong,  and  it  is  possible  there  may 
be  another  crisis  before  the  next  Session.  I  have  not  been 
able  to  get  any  decision  out  of  them  yet  as  to  what  course 
they  will  take.  .  .  .  They  are  apparently  waiting  to  get  their 
orders  from  Mr  Hofmeyr,  and  he  is  probably  waiting  for  the 
arrival  of  the  Transvaal  delegates  here  from  London."  He 
repeats  his  invitation  that  Mackenzie  should  stay  at  Govern- 
ment House  on  his  arrival. 

Robinson  evidently  was  being  pressed  to  change 
his  judgment  by  setting  Niekerk's  letters  and  views 
over  against  those  of  Mackenzie's. 

At  this  time  Mackenzie,  feeling  desperate  over  the 
absence  of  police  from  Bechuanaland,  sent  several 
different  proposals  to  Robinson.  One  of  these  sug- 
gested the  formation  of  a  South  African  volunteer 
force ;  another  suggested  that  Cape  Colony,  as  being 
the  ultimate  heirs  of  Bechuanaland,  ought  to  lend  the 
Imperial  Government  lOO  volunteers  for  the  purpose 
of  settling  the  country.  In  connection  with  these 
proposals  Robinson  wrote  a  letter  in  the  first  week  of 
July,  which  showed  a  distinct  cooling-off  in  its  most 
curt  phraseology  and  imperative  tones  ;  he  lays  aside 
the  scheme  of  a  reserve  force  as  impracticable,  and 
then  adds  the  following  unexpected  words  : — 

I  hope  by  this  time  you  are  on  your  way  back  to  Mont- 
sioa's ;  there  is  nothing  whatever  to  be  gained  by  your  visit- 
ing Cape  Town  at  present ;  and  it  is  desirable  that  you  should 
be  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Rooi  Grond  whilst  the  free- 


AS  DEPUTY  COMMISSIONER  343 


hooters  who  are  living  there  just  within  the  Transvaal 
border  are  making  attacks  upon  the  protectorate. 

The  Blue  Books  show  that  Mackenzie  in  a  telegram 
of  this  date  suggests  that  there  was  still  much  reason 
for  his  visiting  Cape  Town,  and  he  adds  :  "  There  are 
too  many  pressing  duties  in  Bechuanaland  for  me  to 
be  shut  up  in  Mafeking  if  it  is  invested  ;  your  state- 
ment about  public  opinion  at  the  Cape  makes  me  feel 
the  greater  necessity  for  being  there."  To  this,  on 
July  6th  the  High  Commissioner  curtly  replied  : — 

I  can  see  nothing  to  be  gained  by  your  coming  to  Cape 
Town  at  this  moment,  and  I  must  repeat  that  whilst  the 
country  is  in  this  its  present  state  you  should  remain  at  your 
post."  1 

At  the  same  time  the  High  Commissioner  gave 
Mackenzie  authority  to  raise  a  force  of  police  and 
burghers,  to  deal  with  marauders,  and  said  that 
Lord  Derby  had  telegraphed  the  approval  of  H.M.'s 
Government.  The  absurdity  of  this  proposal  lies  on 
the  face  of  it ;  but  Robinson,  now  blind  to  the  facts  of 
Mackenzie's  position,  says,  "  I  am  anxious  you  should 
realise  that  you  have  to  depend  on  what  you  can  do 
locally." 

About  this  time  President  Kruger  and  his  fellow- 
delegates  arrived  at  Cape  Town  from  their  European 
tour.  Robinson  reported  to  Mackenzie  that  they 
conferred  with  Mr  Hofmeyr,  the  leader  of  the  Bond, 
and  with  the  Ministers,  of  whom  Sir  Thomas  Upington 
was  now  Prime  Minister.  They  arrived  at  the  conclu- 
sion, the  Imperial  High  Commissioner  reports  to  his 
Deputy, 

that  it  was  better  for  the  Transvaal  to  have  the  Colonies  as  a 
neighbour  than  the  Imperial  Government,  and  that  Com 
Paul  promised,  that  if  the  Colonies  would  take  over  the  place 


1  C— 4194,  pp.  74,  78,  79. 


344  JOHN  MACKENZIE 


and  you  were  withdrawn,  he  would  use  his  best  exertions  to 
insure  the  Rooi  Gronders  dispersing  to  their  homes. 

In  the  letter  which  gives  this  information,  dated 
July  1 8th,  the  High  Commissioner  for  South  Africa 
goes  on  at  length  to  describe  the  pressure  which  was 
being  brought  to  bear  upon  him  for  the  removal  of 
Mackenzie  from  his  office.  He  piteously  complains 
that  he  stands  absolutely  alone  in  advocating  his 
appointment.  "  I  need  scarcely  say,"  he  adds,  "  that 
this  is  almost  as  disappointing  and  annoying  to  me  as 
you,  but  it  is  a  fact,  and  there  is  nothing  to  be  gained 
by  shutting  our  eyes  to  it." 

A  definite  policy  was  now  agreed  upon  between  Mr 
Kruger,  the  Cape  Dutch  Party,  and  the  Colonial 
Government,  and  it  centered  in  one  immediate  object, 
namely,  the  removal  of  Mackenzie.  The  next  step 
was  naturally  left  indefinite,  Mr  Kruger  allowing  Mr 
Upington  to  think  that  it  would  be  a  peaceful  annexa- 
tion of  Goshen  and  Stellaland  to  the  Cape  Colony 
But  Mr  Kruger  went  home  to  Pretoria,  and  from  his 
place  in  the  Volksraad  denounced  the  very  convention 
under  which  this  annexation  was  to  take  place. 

In  the  parliamentary  discussion,  both  Mr  Upington 
and  Mr  Cecil  Rhodes,  in  advocating  the  annexation 
to  the  Colony,  denounced  Mackenzie  as  the  one 
obstacle  to  a  peaceful  settlement  of  Bechuanaland.^ 
Mr  Rhodes,  in  this  debate,  relied  for  his  information 
upon  letters  which  he  quoted,  and  which  he  had 
received  from  Niekerk  ! 

On  July  28th,  Robinson  wrote  another  long  letter 
to  Mackenzie,  concerning  the  determination  of  the 
Cape  Ministry  to  get  rid  of  him.  The  High 
Commissioner's  supreme  interest  at  this  time  was 
divided  between,  either  securing  the  annexation  of 
Bechuanaland  to  Cape  Colony,  or  obtaining  a  money 

^  For  report  of  debate.    C— 4194,  pp.  85-105. 


AS  DEPUTY  COMMISSIONER  345 


grant  from  the  Colony  towards  the  expenses  of  the 
protectorate.  His  ministers  saw  their  advantage,  and 
refused  to  consider  either  proposal  as  long  as  Mackenzie 
held  his  post.  He  says  in  this  letter,  Mr  Upington 
added  that  the  only  prospect  of  settling  Bechuana- 
land  was  the  cordial  co-operation  between  Cape 
Colony  and  the  Transvaal,  in  the  work.  The 
Transvaal  Government,  he  was  aware,  would  give  no 
real  help  so  long  as  you  are  in  charge."  Sir  Hercules 
strove  "  to  save  his  face,"  by  proposing  that  the 
Colonial  Government  should  nominate  some  one  to  act 
as  coadjutor  with  Mackenzie.  This,  of  course,  was 
also  declined.  At  the  same  time,  he  refused  to  allow 
Mackenzie  any  money  for  his  work  from  the  Imperial 
funds,  and  warned  him  further  not  to  think  of  fighting 
one  half  of  the  Stellalanders  with  the  other  half,  as 
Mr  Upington,  forsooth,  had  imagined  that  Mackenzie 
would  do  this.  Sir  Hercules  Robinson  also  referred 
to  the  scandalous  scenes  which  had  just  occurred  in 
the  Transvaal  Volksraad,  where  President  Kruger, 
from  his  place  in  the  House,  denounced  Robinson 
and  Mackenzie  in  the  same  breath,  as  "  liars  "  and 
"  intriguers,"  and  asserted  that,  because  they  had 
deceived  the  British  public  and  the  British  Govern- 
ment, the  Transvaal  had  lost  Bechuanaland. 

Before  this  letter  was  written  Mr  Rhodes  had 
already  left  Cape  Town  for  Kimberley.  After  his 
arrival  there  a  series  of  telegrams  passed  between  him 
and  Captain  Bower,  the  Imperial  Secretary,  which 
have  been  published  in  the  Blue  Books.^  It  was  only 
when  he  saw  these  telegrams  in  print  that  Mackenzie 
discovered  the  true  facts  regarding  his  recall  and  Mr 
Rhodes's  appointment.  They  clearly  show  that  when 
Mr  Rhodes  left  Cape  Town  there  was  a  general  under- 
standing between  him  and  the  High  Commissioner, 
and  the  Imperial  Secretary,  regarding  the  immediate 
1  C— 4213,  pp.  15  fiF. 


346 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


future.  On  July  25th,  Captain  Bower  received  a 
telegram  from  Mr  Rhodes  saying  that  Niekerk  and 
Co.  threatened  to  use  violence  against  Mackenzie  and 
his  sympathisers.  For  this  information  the  Imperial 
Secretary  sent  thanks,  and  asked  for  more  "  light  on 
the  situation."  On  the  29th,  Mr  Rhodes  was  asked, 
"  Can  you  leave  at  short  notice  for  Bechuanaland,  if 
required  ?  "  On  the  same  date  Mr  Rhodes  announced 
that  there  had  been  a  "  row  at  Vryburg,  on  the  attempt 
to  hoist  the  British  flag."  He  criticised  Mackenzie's 
actions  and  said,  "  the  feeling  in  Stellaland  is  only 
anti-Mackenzie."  Mr  Rhodes  w^as  only  at  Kimberley, 
and  dependent  for  his  information  upon  rumours  and 
the  evidence  of  interested  parties,  but,  he  added  :  "  I 
have  gained,  I  think,  a  fair  knowledge  of  the  situation  ; 
please  reply  and  tell  me  position  on  your  side,  and 
what  you  wish  me  to  do."  Captain  Bower  replied 
that  Robinson  proposed 

to  give  Mackenzie  leave  to  come  down  here  for  purpose  of 
conferring  with  him,  and  to  ask  you  to  go  to  Vryburg  and 
act  for  Mackenzie  in  his  absence.  Do  you  think  this  course 
desirable,  and  do  you  consent,  or  do  you  think  that  Mackenzie 
can  be  safely  left  in  Stellaland  ? 

The  next  day  Mr  Rhodes  flashed  back  his  answer  : 

I  consider  Mackenzie's  presence  at  Vryburg  likely  to 
cause  disturbance.  He  is  opposed  by  large  party.  Am 
willing  to  proceed  on  understanding  if  I  get  matters  quiet, 
and  I  think  his  return  likely  cause  strife  ;  due  weight  to  be 
given  to  my  opinion. 

Mr  Rhodes  was  told  that  the  Governor  accepted 
his  offer  with  thanks,  and  his  commission  was  tele- 
graphed the  same  day.  On  July  31st,  Mackenzie, 
all  unaware  of  these  sinister  "  wires,"  sent  the  announce- 
ment of  his  brilliant  success  in  Stellaland,  and  of  the 
passing  of  the  resolutions  by  the  assembled  inhabitants, 


AS  DEPUTY  COMMISSIONER  347 


which  we  have  described  above.  On  this  Captain 
Bower  wired  Mr  Rhodes  : — 

Mackenzie  telegraphs  that  things  in  Stellaland  are  satis- 
factory. Either  he  is  hving  in  a  fool's  paradise,  or  recent 
reports  are  very  misleading. 

At  the  same  time  Mackenzie  was  informed  of 
Robinson's  desire  that  he  should  go  to  Cape  Town, 
and  of  the  appointment  of  Mr  Rhodes  to  act  for  him 
in  his  absence.  Captain  Bower's  telegram  means 
simply  that  Mackenzie  was  being  recalled,  irrespective 
of  the  questions  as  to  whether  he  had  succeeded  or 
not,  as  to  whether  his  official  report  from  the  scene  of 
action,  or  Mr  Rhodes's  rumours  from  Kimberley  were 
to  be  trusted  at  Cape  Town.  The  fact  stands  indisput- 
able, that  Robinson's  conduct  was  based  first  upon  the 
hostility  of  his  ministers,  which  he  knew  to  be  created 
by  the  Transvaal  ;  and,  second,  upon  rumours  which 
contradicted  the  official  reports  of  his  Deputy 
Commissioner,  and  which  were  sent  to  him  by  Mr 
Rhodes.  The  telegrams  also  show  that  Mr  Rhodes, 
without  being  upon  the  spot  or  making  a  judicial  inquiry 
into  these  false  rumours,  advised  the  removal  of  an 
Imperial  officer  that  he  himself  might  take  his 
place. 

When  Mackenzie  reached  Cape  Town  he  found 
himself  in  the  centre  of  storms.  After  a  few  days 
he  decided  to  send  in  his  resignation.  This  step  was 
taken  while  he  was  fully  conscious  of  his  own  success 
in  Bechuanaland,  but  while  he  was  yet  unaware  of 
the  telegrams  and  misrepresentations  which  have 
been  sketched  above.  It  was  taken  because  the 
Cape  Ministry  believed  they  could  easily  reduce 
Bechuanaland  to  order,  and  he  would  not  have  it 
felt  that  he  stood  in  the  way.  His  motives  and 
spirit  are  expressed  in  the  following  letter  : — 


348 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


Government  House, 
Cape  Town,  -^^rd  Aug.  1884. 

My  Dear  Dr  Dale, — Your  warm  interest  in  the  Bechu- 
analand  question  induces  me  to  send  you  the  text  of  my 
letter  of  resignation,  and  the  documents  which  the  High 
Commissioner,  at  my  request,  produced  on  the  occasion. 

My  first  impulse  was  of  course  not  to  resign ;  but  in  the 
circumstances,  and  wishing  myself  also  to  test  the  sincerity  of 
the  utterances  of  the  Cape  Ministry,  I  sent  in  the  enclosed 
letter.  They  are  not  touching  Bechuanaland  a  bit  more  since 
I  resigned  than  they  were  before. 

The  pohtical  situation  here  in  Cape  Town  is  most  unhappy 
— nay,  it  is  even  dangerous ;  and  you  know  I  am  no  alarmist. 
Let  me  explain  what  I  know  of  it,  of  course  in  strictest 
confidence. 

In  the  first  place,  relations  of  present  ministry  and  the 
High  Commissioner  are  very  much  strained.  I  found  it  so. 
I  have  been,  since  I  arrived  here,  a  go-between  as  to  the 
Bechuanaland  affair,  and  there  is  a  slightly  better  state  of 
things.     But  there  is  no  love  lost  on  either  side. 

On  asking  Sprigg  and  Upington  why  they  had  not  sup- 
ported Scanlen's  undertaking  for  co-operation  with  English 
Government,  they  gave  first  the  pubUshed  reasons — indefinite 
responsibility,  etc.;  but  on  being  pressed,  they  both  said,  or, 
rather,  shouted — "We  don't  believe  in  the  English  Govern- 
ment. We  are  Liberals,  both  of  us,  but  the  Colonial  Policy 
of  the  present  Government  is  rotten  and  detestable.  They 
would  leave  us  in  the  lurch  on  the  first  convenient  opportunity. 
We  should  have  to  face  the  opposition  of  the  Dutch  here,  and 
would  probably  get  turned  out ;  but  what  we  are  sure  of  is, 
that  if  we  co-operated  as  you  desire  us,  and  sent  up  officers 
now  into  Bechuanaland  to  make  preparations  for  annexation, 
or  lent  Cape  Mounted  Rifles  to  protect  Cape  Colonists  in 
Stellaland  who  signed  the  petition  for  annexation, — there  is 
nothing  clearer  to  our  minds  than  that  in  the  briefest  time  we 
should  find  ourselves  alone  in  Bechuanaland,  deserted  by 
the  Imperial  Government." 

You  can  scarcely  imagine  the  vehemence  with  which  these 
things  are  said.  Their  minds  are  exceedingly  embittered 
against  Her  Majesty's  Government.  All  the  while,  as  they 
declare,  their  personal  sentiments  are  similar  to  your  own  ! 
His  Excellency  is  good  enough  to  place  great  confidence 


AS  DEPUTY  COMMISSIONER  349 


in  me,  in  suggesting  that  I  go  and  talk  with  them,  and  in 
formally  sending  me  on  matters  of  business ;  but  it  is  uphill 
work. 

And  the  worst  is  not  told.  These  men — our  own  fellow- 
countrymen — only  hold  their  present  position  on  sufferance. 
Mr  Hofmeyr  and  the  Dutch  party  support  them,  and  there- 
fore they  stand.  They  are  paying  most  disastrously  dear  for 
this  support.  It  is  said  everything  is  submitted  to  Hofmeyr 
in  secret  conclave,  and  ministers  get  what  are  practically 
orders.  Was  a  country  ever  in  such  an  unhappy  situation  ? 
It  is  explained  to  me  by  those  who  know,  that  Hofmeyr  dared 
not  accept  the  responsibility  of  forming  a  ministry  when  the 
Government  sent  for  him  to  do  so.  His  own  followers  do 
not  supply  material  out  of  which  ministers  could  be  made, 
on  account  of  their  sheer  ignorance.  But  in  their  own 
opinion  they  are  fully  qualified,  and  would  resent  being 
passed  over.  Therefore  the  astute  Hofmeyr  declines  the 
Premiership  virtually  because  he  shrinks  from  appointing 
English  ministers  under  him,  over  the  heads  of  his  own 
peculiar  people. 

I  asked  His  Excellency,  as  a  favour,  to  wire  the  last  two 
paragraphs  of  my  letter  to  the  Colonial  Office,  in  order  that 
the  pecuHar,  unusual,  I  might  almost  say  unique,  situation 
might  be  understood.    He  did  not  consent  to  this. 

The  news  comes  in  that  Bechuanaland  is  well-nigh  in  the 
hands  of  the  Boers. 

Joubert's  selection  by  the  Transvaal  Government,  after 
his  speech  and  known  proclivities,  was  not  polite  to  the 
Imperial  Government,  nor  was  it  in  the  way  of  a  friendly 
settlement. 

Sept.  23. — One  thing  and  another  have  prevented  me  from 
finishing  this  and  sending  it  off. 

My  resignation  has  been  accepted,  and  I  am  now  adrift.  I 
do  not  know  my  future.  I  am  deeply  interested  in  this  ques- 
tion, and  a  great  deal  has  to  be  done  here.  But  how  to  do 
it,  and  also  earn  daily  bread,  &c.,  for  myself  and  family,  are 
questions  not  yet  solved.  I  have  no  disinclination,  thank 
God,  to  resume  mission  work,  but  my  successors  have  made, 
and  are  making  such  a  frightful  mess  there,  that  really  it  would 
not  be  advisable  for  me  to  go  back  to  Bechuanaland  just  now. 

I  have  now  left  Government  House,  and  have  taken  rooms 


350  JOHN  MACKENZIE 


for  a  short  time  here.  There  will  be  a  public  meeting  here 
to-morrow  night. 

The  action  of  Germany  has  acted  as  a  tonic  to  the  sluggish 
dullards  here.  Four  papers  here  are  practically  of  one  opinion  : 
The  Argus,  Times^  Express^  and  Volksblad.  Tlie  Zuid  Afrikaan 
openly  advocates  freebooting,  looting,  and  serfdom.  It  is  in 
Dutch  entirely,  otherwise  I  would  send  you  copies.  The 
papers  insisted  that  I  must  speak  at  the  meeting.  I  went  to 
the  preparatory  meetings  to-day.  I  was  well  received.  But 
in  the  interval  some  one  had  expressed  a  doubt  whether  it 
would  be  wise  that  I  should  speak.  I  came  in  while  they 
were  discussing  this.  This  gives  you  an  idea  of  the  position 
here ;  the  meeting  is  to  some  extent  the  result  of  doctrines 
which  I  have  been  teaching  since  I  came  here.  They  all  say 
they  would  like  to  hear  me ;  but  what  about  the  Dutch 
opposition  ? 

I  said  I  was  no  judge  whether  I  should  speak  or  not ;  I 
dared  say  there  would  be  enough  without  me.  When  this 
would  not  do,  I  added,  "  I  suppose  you  want  to  know  whether 
I  am  going  to  set  you  all  at  loggerheads  by  what  I  say.  If 
that  is  the  anxiety  of  those  who  don't  know  me,  I  have  the 
happiness  to  relieve  it  at  once ;  you  may  rest  quietly  in  your 
minds  so  far  as  my  speech  is  concerned."  Such  is  my  stand- 
ing here  to-day.  Queer,  isn't  it  ?  If  I  can  do  something 
towards  healthy  speech  and  clear  understanding  between 
Dutch  and  English,  I  shall  do  something.  I  feel  my 
mind  going  with  this  question ;  I  should  like  to  serve 
a  high  cause  in  this  Colony ;  perhaps  the  way  may  be 
opened  up. 

In  the  meantime  don't  despair.  It  is  enough  to  be  cast 
down ;  I  do  not  feel  like  that.  But  despair,  and  your  cause 
the  right  one?  No,  by  no  means.  Dear  Mary,  my  Httle 
daughter,  wrote  to  me  lately,  "  Papa,  I  am  praying  so  hard 
for  you."  I  have  got  the  conviction  Mary  is  not  alone  in 
doing  this.  Let  us  wait  and  work,  hoping  in  God.  Give  me 
a  line. — Ever  yours  sincerely, 

John  Mackenzie. 

To  Mr  Stead  he  wrote  a  letter  on  October  ist,  in 
which  the  following  paragraphs  occur  : — 

It  is  no  small  gratification  to  me  to  be  able  to  preach  in 
Cape  Town  the  doctrines  which  I  preached  in  England,  and 


AS  DEPUTY  COMMISSIONER  351 


to  find  that  they  are  cordially  accepted.  My  own  reception 
has  been  more  than  I  had  reason  to  expect,  considering 
the  censure  which  was  heaped  upon  me.  It  is  only  one 
form  of  resenting  the  conduct  of  their  political  leaders 
on  the  part  of  this  community.  They  have  spoken  out  for 
themselves. 

The  real  cause  of  failure  in  Bechuanaland  is  the  hostile 
attitude  of  the  Transvaal.  This  was  pointed  out  by  me  re- 
peatedly, with  the  remark  that  it  was  a  question  for  the  High 
Commissioner  and  the  Home  Government,  and  not  for  me 
with  a  few  policemen.  It  will  be  shown  that  Sir  H.  had 
Lord  Derby's  express  sanction  to  repel  the  invasion  of  Mont- 
sioa's  country  months  ago,  but  did  nothing  but  urge  me  to 
go  back  again  personally  and  try  personal  persuasion.  When 
I  came  to  Cape  Town  Sir  H.  had  not  done  anything  with 
Lord  Derby's  sanction,  but  was  trying  in  reality  to  throw  the 
onus  on  the  Cape  Colo?iy.  I  say  so,  as  I  was  the  go-between 
the  parties  for  weeks ;  and  the  negotiations  stuck  with 
the  blunt  question  of  Upington,  "  What  do  you  mean 
then  by  co-operation?  Define  what  England  will  do,  and 
what  you  expect  the  Cape  Colony  to  do."  Sir  H.  pooh- 
poohed  this  then,  and  did  not  so  define. 

Now,  dear  Mr  Stead,  don't  be  angry  with  me  for  writing 
all  this.  I  am  in  a  queer  fix.  Don't  know  where  to  turn, 
have  been  really  checked  and  tripped  up  by  knaves  or 
fools  or  both.    What  I  write  is  in  confidence.    But  don't 

trust  M  one  bit,  nor  H  ,  if  you  come  across  them. 

Scanlen  is  nice,  and  I  think  trust- 
worthy, but  don't  betray  my  con- 
fidences to  him.  The  others  are 
his  lieutenants. 

[In  the  original  letter  "  Land,"  written  in  large  letters,  fills  up 
the  vacant  space,  as  above.] 


LAND 


CHAPTER  XIII 


AFRICA  THE  ROUSING  OF  THE  CAPE  COLONY 

(1884-1885) 

It  will  be  unnecessary  to  tell  in  detail  the  story  of 
Bechuanaland  under  Mr  Rhodes's  Commissionership 
during  the  months  of  August,  September,  and 
October  1884.  But  something  must  be  said  in 
order  to  explain  still  later  events. 

When  Mackenzie  resigned  it  was  with  the  feeling, 
as  he  said  once,  shrugging  his  shoulders,  "  If  these 
other  fellows  think  they  can  manage  the  business, 
well,  let  them  try  it."  Mr  Cecil  Rhodes  made  the 
first  attempt.  He  went  straight  to  Vryburg,  and  sent 
his  first  message  from  there  on  August  7th.  He 
found  what  he  called  the  "  town  section  "  very  favour- 
able to  Mackenzie,  and  confessed  that  they  were  very 
bitter  against  himself.  The  reason  for  this  bitterness 
lay  in  the  fact  that  he  had  announced  his  resolve 
against  Mackenzie's  advice,  to  negotiate  with  Niekerk. 
The  Vryburg  population,  since  Mackenzie's  last  visit 
and  the  formation  of  a  settled  government  under  him, 
had  viewed  with  great  resentment  the  recent  history 
of  Niekerk's  relations  to  them  ;  and  the  idea  that  the 
new  Deputy  Commissioner  should  deal  with  Niekerk 
as  in  any  measure  responsible  for  that  portion  of 
British  territory,  awoke  their  intense  hostility.  But 
Mr  Cecil  Rhodes  persisted  in  his  policy.  He  left  a 
loyal  Stellaland  behind  him,  ready  to  promote  peace 
and  to  resist  the  aggressions  of  outsiders,  and  crossed 
352 


THE  ROUSING  OF  CAPE  COLONY  353 


the  border  to  negotiate  with  an  avowed  enemy  of 
the  Queen  for  the  maintenance  of  peace  in  Her 
Protectorate. 

It  is  impossible  for  any  student  of  these  events  to 
fathom  Mr  Rhodes's  real  reasons  for  this  extraordinary 
step.  An  approach  to  a  reason  is  given  by  him,^  and 
is  echoed  by  Captain  Bower,  in  the  suggestion  that  it 
was  necessary  to  pacify  Stellaland  in  order  to  use  it 
as  a  basis  for  pacifying  Goshen.  If  this  was  the  real 
purpose  it  exposes  the  statesmanship  of  both  these 
gentlemen  to  the  severest  criticism  from  another 
point  of  view. 

When  Mr  Rhodes  reached  Commando  Drift,  where 
Niekerk  and  his  people  were  assembled,  he  found 
them,  he  said,  "  exceedingly  embittered  against  Mr 
Mackenzie,  and  the  section  in  Vryburg,  who  had 
accepted  his  government."  ^  Their  bitterness  is  not 
in  the  least  unintelligible  ;  it  is  only  extraordinary  that 
Mr  Rhodes  should  have  taken  steps  to  give  up  the 
loyalists  in  Vryburg  to  its  pitiless  cruelty.  He  knew 
that  these  people  were  assembling  to  reinstate  the 
government  which  Mackenzie  had  destroyed  ;  that  is, 
to  treat  Stellaland  as  if  it  had  never  been  proclaimed 
a  British  Protectorate,  and  as  if  no  British  officers  had 
assumed  authority  within  it.  And  he  set  himself 
avowedly  to  help  them. 

After  some  preliminary  arrangements  Mr  Rhodes 
left  for  Goshen,  summoning  Captain  Bower  from  Cape 
Town  to  carry  on  affairs  in  Stellaland  during  his 
absence. 

On  his  way  to  Goshen,  Mr  Cecil  Rhodes  heard  that 
the  Transvaal  Government,  in  response  to  the  High 
Commissioner,  had  appointed  General  Piet  Joubert  as 
a  Special  Commissioner,  to  assist  him  in  pacifying  the 
western  border  of  that  country.  Mr  Rhodes  and 
1  C— 4213,  p.  41.  C— 4  4213,  p.  105. 

z 


354  JOHN  MACKENZIE 


General  Joubert  met  at  Goshen,  on  the  Transvaal  side, 
and  proceeded  to  negotiate  with  Van  Pittius.  Mr  - 
Rhodes  received  nothing  but  insult  of  the  most 
studied  kind,  while  he  was  there.  The  Boers  actually 
attacked  Mafeking,  on  the  night  of  his  arrival  at  their 
camp.  Yet  he  remained  within  the  Transvaal,  did 
not  enter  Mafeking,  had  no  dealings  with  Montsioa, 
whom  he  was  sent  to  protect  and  deliver, — except 
through  some  messengers  who  stole  up  to  his  waggon 
at  night, — broke  off  negotiations  when  he  found  that 
the  Goshenites  gave  no  sign  of  yielding  to  his  authority, 
and  that  Joubert  was  either  powerless  or  unwilling  to 
assist  him. 

Gn  his  leaving,  poor  Montsioa  found  himself  com- 
pelled to  agree  to  a  "  treaty  "  of  the  most  unjust  kind 
— so  unjust  that  Mr  Rhodes  could  not  tolerate  it. 
These  events  opened  his  eyes  to  the  fact,  as  he 
reported  to  Robinson,  that  the  Transvaal  was  tacitly 
allowing  these  proceedings,  and  that  Joubert  was  not 
in  the  least  anxious  to  put  down  the  disorder. 

Yet  Mr  Rhodes  returned  through  the  Transvaal  to 
Commando  Drift,  within  the  Transvaal,  and  there 
resumed  his  negotiations  with  Mr  Niekerk,  a  Transvaal 
citizen,  regarding  the  further  destiny  of  the  British 
Protectorate  in  South  Bechuanaland.  He  found  that 
Captain  Bower  had  come  to  this  region,  during  his 
absence  in  the  north.  Two  steps  of  great  significance 
had  already  been  taken  by  the  Captain.  In  his 
anxiety  lest  the  British  flag  at  Vryburg  should  be 
insulted  he  sent  it  away  to  Taungs.  The  Stellaland 
flag,  which  Mackenzie  had  received  from  the  hands  of 
the  Stellalanders  themselves,  and  taken  to  Cape  Town, 
Captain  Bower  brought  back  ;  and  this  he  handed  over 
once  more,  not  to  the  British  in  Vryburg,  but  to  Mr 
Niekerk  in  the  Transvaal.  From  Vryburg  he  sent 
messages  to  Cape  Town,  which  deliberately  aimed  at 


THE  ROUSING  OF  CAPE  COLONY  355 


disparaging  Mr  Mackenzie's  work  and  influence  in 
that  place. 

Within  a  few  days  four  members  of  the  Volks 
Committee  sent  a  telegram  to  Mackenzie,  saying  that 
they  deemed  it 

advisable  that  you  return  speedily  to  Vryburg  and  the 
Bechuanaland.  Majority  of  public  approve  of  your  policy. 
Rhodes  appears  only  working  for  Colonial  interest,  regardless 
of  position  of  country.  Think  you  could  effect  peaceable 
settlement.  General  regret  at  your  absence  during  present 
complications.  Rhodes  went  alone  to  Niekerk,  in  Transvaal, 
to  consult  him.  Public  sentiment  here  worked  upon  against 
Imperial  Government ;  especially  yourself  and  Vryburg 
opinion  ignored.  Statement  made  that  you  do  not  return. 
Please  reply. 

This  message  abundantly  proves  that  even  after  the 
visits  of  both  Mr  Rhodes  and  Captain  Bower,  the  in- 
habitants of  British  Stellaland  felt  themselves  strong 
enough,  and  united  enough,  to  maintain  their  alle- 
giance to  the  Imperial  Government.  Nevertheless,  on 
September  8th,  at  Commando  Drift,  Mr  Rhodes 
agreed  to  terms  of  peace,  dictated  to  him  by  Niekerk. 
A  strange  fact  is  that  this  agreement  was  telegraphed 
in  a  mutilated  form  to  Cape  Town,  and  from  there 
to  London,  and  was  approved  in  London  before  all  its 
contents  were  known. 

The  very  first  article  stated,  "  That  all  transactions  entered 
into  between  Mackenzie  and  the  Volks  Committee,  and  the 
proclamations  issued  by  him,  be  cancelled  " ;  that  is  to  say, 
the  very  acts  which  Mackenzie  carried  out  under  his  com- 
mission, and  for  which  he  was  sent  to  Africa  by  Lord  Derby, 
were  recalled  in  this  manner,  and  at  this  time.  The  second 
article  stated  that  "  pending  negotiations  with  the  Cape 
Colony,  Stellaland  should  continue  its  own  government, 
recognizing,  however.  Her  Majesty's  Protectorate,  and  sub- 
ject to  the  conditions  that  all  executive  acts  must  be  taken 
in  concert  and  with  the  consent  of  the  Commissioner  for  the 


3  56  JOHN  MACKENZIE 


Bechuanaland."  The  third  article  promised  recognition  of 
the  land  titles  issued  by  the  Government  of  Stellaland — a 
portion  of  the  agreement  which  no  doubt  conceals  much,  and 
which  gave  much  trouble  later. 

The  fifth  article  was,  however,  the  most  extraordinary  of 
all.  It  postponed  the  authority  of  the  second  article  for  three 
months,  which  simply  meant  that  the  Stellaland  Government, 
as  it  was  established  before  Mackenzie  reached  the  country, 
was  to  be  restored  and  maintained  with  the  approval  of  the 
British  Government  for  three  months  longer. 

The  logical  sequel  to  these  events  occurred  when,  on 
September  i  8th,  Niekerk  and  his  party  rode  suddenly 
into  Vryburg,  taking  possession  of  the  town  and  the 
Government  offices,  and  establishing  themselves  in 
power  over  the  territory  from  which  they  had  de- 
parted four  months  before,  and  over  the  inhabitants 
who  had  sworn  allegiance  to  the  Queen. 

One  need  not  dwell  upon  the  feelings  of  disgust  and 
chagrin  that  seized  the  loyalist  people  in  Stellaland, 
many  of  whom  fled  for  safety.  These  feelings  spread 
gradually  over  all  South  Africa,  as  the  full  facts  of  the 
case  entered  the  public  mind. 

Mackenzie's  resignation,  which  was  telegraphed  to 
London  (August  9th),  was  not  accepted  by  Lord 
Derby  until  September  i8th.  During  that  period 
he  stayed  at  Government  House,  in  constant  inter- 
course with  Robinson.  It  is  one  of  the  curious  facts 
which  his  unselfish  spirit  brought  about,  that  he  was 
then  actually  used  by  Robinson  as  a  means  of  com- 
munication with  the  Cape  Ministers  who  had  demanded 
his  recall  ;  his  intercourse  with  them  was  frequent  and 
friendly,  just  because  he  determined  that  his  main  work 
in  life  was  not  to  promote  his  own  interests  or  resent 
a  personal  defeat,  but  to  secure  the  triumph  of  a 
beneficent  public  policy  in  South  Africa.     His  spirit 


THE  ROUSING  OF  CAPE  COLONY  357 


and  some  of  his  work  are  reflected  in  a  long  letter 
to  his  wife,  from  which  the  following  extracts  are 
made  : — 

Government  House, 
Cape  Town,  21st  Aug:  1884. 

Dearest, — You  may  be  sure  my  time  has  been  very  much 
occupied  since  I  came  here.  My  last  letter  would  show  you 
that  I  had  to  do  real  work  for  the  good  of  Bechuanaland  so 
far,  and  to  prevent  what  I  believe  would  have  been  grave 
mistakes. 

I  found,  when  I  came  down,  this  doctrine  :  "  We  join  and 
stick  to  the  majority  in  Stellaland.  We  doubt  if  you  have 
the  majority ;  Rhodes  v/ill  go  and  see  ;  and  if  not  then  he  will 
join  Niekerk."  .  .  . 

In  my  humble  opinion  we  are  assisting  as  fast  as  we  can  in 
joining  Stellaland  to  the  Transvaal,  and  the  only  people  who 
realize  the  situation  are  Messrs  Hofmeyr,  Niekerk,  De  la  Rey 
and  that  ilk,  Sprigg  and  Upington  gracefully  following  in  their 
train,  whether  blindly  or  with  their  eyes  open,  who  knows  ? 
The  appointment  of  Rhodes  was  a  good  one,  if  he  had  at 
once  gone  on  to  Rooi  Grond,  as  I  strongly  advised  both  the 
High  Commissioner  and  himself.  Mr  Bower  also  might  have 
done  good  at  Vryburg  by  upholding  what  had  been  accom- 
plished. Unless  we  are  to  suppose  that  the  Transvaal  will 
refuse  to  restrain  its  burghers  in  the  Hart  River  District, 
Mr  Bower's  position  would  have  been  secure  enough  at 
Vryburg.  The  Transvaal  would  never  have  attacked  Bower 
at  Vryburg,  even  with  what  support  I  had.  If  the  Transvaal 
mean  to  have  Bechuanaland  we  need  not  meet  them  half-way 
and  help  them  to  walk  over  the  course. 

A  few  days  ago  I  had  an  interview  with  Mr  Sprigg  and 
Mr  Upington.  I  have  not  time  to  recall  all  that  passed,  I 
stated  my  views  of  the  situation  clearly,  and  charged  them 
with  having  thrown  away  a  golden  opportunity  for  securing 
the  co-operation  of  England  with  the  Cape  Colony. 

My  advice  to  them  was — "  Here  are  a  number  of  men  who 
have  signed  a  requisition  to  the  Cape  Colony.  There  is  a 
dispute  among  them.  The  one  party  annuls  the  doings  of 
the  other.  I  called  them  all  together,  seeking  union  among 
them,  but  one  side  did  not  come.  That  side  does  not  want 
Imperial  Government  and  does  not  want  Colonial  Govern- 


358 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


ment,  although  it  professes  to  do  so.  It  is  working  for  the 
Transvaal.  These  people  threaten  those  who  have  accepted 
office  under  the  Imperial  Government  with  '  pains  and 
penalties.' " 

"  Well,  it  is  the  duty  of  the  Imperial  Government  to 
protect  them." 

"  No  doubt,  but  England  undertook  this  in  co-operation 
with  the  Cape  Colony.  You  also  have  obligations ;  these 
people  have  asked  for  annexation  ;  you  have  passed  a  resolu- 
tion favourable  to  annexation.  But  in  the  meantime  the 
country  is  in  danger  of  passing  into  the  hands  of  the  Trans- 
vaal all  the  same.  Niekerk  is  working  for  this ;  Joubert  will 
of  course  ask  for  this.  Who  works  against  it  ?  The  Imperial 
Government,  if  you  work  with  it.  .  .  .  Refrain  to  act,  and  I 
am  afraid  Bechuanaland  is  gone  for  ever,  and  becomes  part  of 
the  Transvaal ;  for  I  am  told  the  Imperial  Government  will 
not  do  the  work  by  itself.  Then  you  are  doomed  to  a  second- 
rate  position.  And  why,  from  your  point  of  view,  should  you 
be  excused  from  anxiety?  I  know  about  the  duties  of  a 
central  or  supreme  power.  But  England  has  a  right  to 
expect  your  co-operation,  and  if  she  had  it,  she  would,  along 
with  you,  settle  not  only  this,  but  every  other  South  African 
question." 

(Sprigg)  "  Yes,  say  she  would  do  so ;  get  us  to  begin,  and 
then  leave  us  in  the  lurch.    She  did  so  before." 

I  assure  you  England  would  not  leave  the  Cape  Colony  in 
the  lurch  if  she  were  assisted  by  the  Colony  in  Bechuanaland. 
There  are  too  many  reasons  pointing  the  other  way.  A 
considerable  change  and  improvement  took  place  in  people's 
views  about  the  Colony  when  I  was  at  home.  I  am  afraid 
by  refusing  your  co-operation  you  have  dashed  all  this  to  the 
ground." 

"  We  can't  trust  the  English  Government.  If  we  could 
trust  them  that  would  be  one  thing.  We  are  afraid  to  trust 
them." 

You  are  wrong  in  your  distrust.  They  would  act  with 
you  to  their  last  penny.  But  if  you  want  to  save  Bechuana- 
land for  the  Cape,  send  your  officer  and  men  at  once,  having 
of  course  obtained  the  High  Commissioner's  sanction." 

A  great  deal  more  was  said,  of  course.  I  made  some  im- 
pression. They  both  declared  with  passion  that  their  wishes 
and  mine  were  the  same.    I  think  their  distrust  of  the  Home 


THE  ROUSING  OF  CAPE  COLONY  359 


Government  genuine;  perhaps  mixed  a  little  with  spite 
in  the  case  of  Mr  Sprigg,  at  his  treatment  in  the  matter  of 
Bechuanaland. 

I  was  so  convinced  that  things  were  going  to  be  on  a 
wrong  track,  that  I  wrote  a  private  memorandum  to  His 
Excellency  requesting  that  the  Government  at  Vryburg 
should  be  taken  up  by  Capt.  Bower,  and  that  he  should 
not  merely  wait  on  Niekerk.  Sir  Hercules  was  pleased  to 
say  that  what  I  then  wrote  had  modified  his  instructions  to 
Mr  Bower. 

I  trust  on  every  account  that  these  men  will  have  success ; 
but  I  confess  I  don't  see  how  it  is  to  come  about.  The  same 
power  that  is  supreme  in  Niekerk's  and  Joubert's  Councils  is 
supreme  in  the  Cape  Ministry  and  Parliament ;  and  yet  not 
responsible ;  for  Englishmen  have  been  found  who  are  content 
to  be  figureheads  to  a  craft  with  a  Dutch-speaking  captain  who 
never  appears  on  deck. 

My  own  resignation  is  now  on  its  way  to  London.  The 
telegraphic  announcement  is  already  there.  Sir  H.  proposes 
advance  of  three  months'  pay  when  connection  is  severed. 
Sir  Hercules  declares  I  am  taking  it  more  coolly  than  he  does. 
He  is  very  kind.  There  will  be  a  delay  of  about  a  week.  I 
intend  to  visit  some  friends.  Of  course  there  are  a  few  who 
will  be  courageous  enough  to  have  me.  What  are  we  going 
to  do  next  ?  How  employ  the  afternoon  of  life  and  open  a 
home  for  our  children  ?  May  the  Guide  of  our  past  lives  be 
with  us  still !  Love  to  the  children.  Hope  Franklin  enjoys 
himself. — Ever, 

John  Mackenzie. 

As  soon  as  his  resignation  was  accepted,  he  went 
into  private  lodgings.  He  was  deeply  disappointed, 
of  course,  at  the  position  in  which  he  found  himself, 
but  his  disappointment  was  increased  when  he 
gradually  discovered  the  forces  which  had  produced 
this  result.  Undaunted,  however,  he  set  himself  to 
work  for  the  cause  which  he  had  at  heart,  and  for 
which  he  had  given  up  his  earlier  career.  He  found 
himself  very  speedily  in  the  midst  of  warm  friends, 
and  their  number  and  their  warmth  increased  as  they 


36o 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


became  familiar  with  his  political  teachings  and  his 
personal  spirit.  He  was  invited  to  occupy  the  pulpit 
of  the  Congregational  Church  at  Claremont,  a  suburb 
of  Cape  Town.  This  necessitated  only  his  preaching 
on  Sundays,  and  left  him  the  entire  week  for  the  huge 
mass  of  correspondence  in  which  he  soon  found  himself 
involved. 

Just  eight  days  after  Mr  Rhodes's  arrangement 
with  Niekerk,  which  was  dated  September  8th,  the 
startling  announcement  was  telegraphed  from  Pretoria 
to  London  that  the  Transvaal,  "  being  implored  by 
Montsioa,  had  annexed  his  territory."  Sir  Hercules 
Robinson  at  once  replied  "  that  this  was  simply  the 
annexation  by  the  Transvaal  of  about  one  half  of 
the  British  Protectorate,  and  was  an  open  and 
defiant  violation  of  the  Convention."  No  doubt 
this  matter  was  very  clumsily  managed,  as  a 
Transvaal  official  at  a  later  date  confessed. 
President  Kruger  would  have  had  more  chance  of 
success  if  he  had  waited  somewhat  longer.  No 
doubt,  also,  this  act  may  be  called  treacherous. 
But  in  all  fairness  to  the  Transvaal  it  ought  to  be 
recognised  that  their  treachery  was  the  logical 
outcome  of  British  unfaithfulness  to  an  announced 
British  policy.  This  may  seem  a  strange  assertion, 
but  the  facts  of  the  case  thoroughly  support  it. 
Mackenzie  had  been  sent  to  proclaim  a  British 
Protectorate  over  Montsioa  and  Mankoroane  ;  yet 
Robinson,  who  sent  him,  would  give  neither  money 
nor  men  to  establish  a  police  force  which  should 
make  the  Protectorate  effective.  The  High  Com- 
missioner became  involved  in  discussions,  both  with 
his  ministers  in  Cape  Town  and  with  his  Deputy 
Commissioner  in  Bechuanaland,  which  showed  his 
weakness  and  unwillingness  to  act ;  every  breath 
of  these  discussions  was  as  well  known  in  Pretoria 


THE  ROUSING  OF  CAPE  COLONY  361 


as  in  Cape  Town.  Further,  every  grown  man  in 
South  Africa  knew  that  the  Transvaal  was  the 
base  of  operations  for  the  marauders  in  Stellaland 
and  Goshen,  that  it  was  the  home  of  Niekerk 
and  Pittius  ;  everyone  knew  that  the  leading  news- 
paper in  Pretoria  published  reports  of  their  acts, 
that  it  was  as  much  their  official  organ  as  it 
was  the  official  organ  of  the  Transvaal  Govern- 
ment. 

Notwithstanding  these  facts,  a  high-placed  British 
officer  seriously  proposed  that  Bechuanaland  should 
be  settled  by  the  co-operation  of  the  Transvaal 
with  Cape  Colony !  Still  further,  the  Transvaal 
Government,  knowing  Mackenzie — his  power  over 
the  natives  as  well  as  over  white  men,  and  his 
strong  determination  that  the  Imperial  Government 
should  rule  in  fact  as  well  as  in  name — demanded 
his  recall  through  its  allies  in  Cape  Town  and  by 
direct  appeals  to  the  High  Commissioner.  Not  only 
is  he  recalled  and  his  resignation  accepted  ;  his 
successor  actually  goes  into  Stellaland  and,  with 
his  eyes  open,  deliberately  hands  back  the  Govern- 
ment of  a  British  Protectorate  to  Niekerk,  a  citizen 
of  the  Transvaal,  and  his  companions.  He  more- 
over, formally  renounces  all  the  acts  and  pro- 
clamations of  his  predecessor.  It  was  surely  open 
to  Mr  Kruger  to  ask  himself,  If  Stellaland  is  thus 
given  back,  what  can  Britain  possibly  do  with  and 
for  Montsioa  so  much  further  north  ?  The  only 
reason  why  all  this  insensate  folly  and  weakness 
does  not  excuse  the  treachery  of  the  Transvaal  is 
that  the  latter  preceded  as  well  as  followed  those 
acts.  It  was  not  until  October  14th  that  Mr 
Niekerk  took  the  next  step  which,  if  it  had  been 
carried  through,  would  have  been  only  the  further 
logical  outcome  of  all  that  went  before  :  for  he  drew 


362  JOHN  MACKENZIE 


up  a  petition  to  be  signed  by  the  burghers  of 
Stellaland  reciting  to  himself  the  failure  of  the 
negotiations  for  annexation  to  Cape  Colony,  and 
proposing  to  him  that  negotiations  be  forthwith 
opened  for  annexation  to  the  Transvaal ! 

In  the  meantime,  in  Cape  Town  and  elsewhere 
throughout  the  Colony,  the  tide  of  indignation  against 
the  weakness  of  the  Imperial  Administration  was 
steadily  rising  ;  it  took  shape  first  of  all  in  a  great 
public  meeting  held  in  Exchange  Hall,  Cape  Town, 
on  September  24th.  Mackenzie  had  been  invited 
to  the  preparatory  meeting,  as  he  explained  to  Dr 
Dale  in  the  letter  quoted  above,  and  was,  of  course, 
invited  to  be  one  of  the  speakers.  A  most  eloquent 
and  thrilling  speech  was  made  by  the  Hon.  J.  W. 
Leonard,  Q.C.,  in  which  he  defended  Mackenzie's 
commissionership.  When  the  latter  rose  to  give  his 
address,  he  and  everyone  else  were  amazed  at  the 
enthusiasm  with  which  the  great  assembly  welcomed 
him.  He  studiously  avoided  personalities  in  his 
speech,  which  the  Cape  Times  described  as  "a  plain 
unvarnished  tale,  using  a  simplicity  and  directness 
of  speech  that  was  more  telling  than  any  laboured 
eloquence."  He  went  right  at  the  root  of  the  whole 
matter,  which  was  the  relation  of  European  races  in 
South  Africa.  He  denied  that  there  ought  to  be 
any  divergence  of  interest  between  Dutch  and  English 
in  that  region.  "  The  real  question  was,  Were  they 
to  go  north  with  the  stain  of  human  blood  on  their 
hands  or  were  they  to  go  north  as  Christians,  clean- 
handed ? "  The  last  part  of  his  speech  dealt  with 
the  position  of  responsibility  of  the  Cape  Colony ; 
he  foresaw  its  great  future  if  the  colonists  chose  the 
wise  policy ;  it  was  for  their  own  interest  to  see 
that  the  road  into  the  interior  was  not  blocked  by 
Germans  from  the  West  or  the  Transvaal  from  the 


THE  ROUSING  OF  CAPE  COLONY  363 


East ;  in  order  to  secure  this  they  must  maintain 
their  connection  with  the  Imperial  Government. 

This  meeting  awoke  enthusiasm  all  over  the 
Colony ;  similar  gatherings  in  the  leading  towns 
passed  enthusiastic  resolutions  in  favour  of  a  vigorous 
policy  in  Bechuanaland.  Mackenzie  was  himself 
summoned  to  lecture  in  many  of  these  places  ;  wher- 
ever he  went  he  maintained  the  same  calm,  judicial 
tone,  dealing  only  with  fundamental  principles,  posing 
nowhere  as  a  martyr,  and  parading  his  wrongs  no- 
where. His  speeches  were  widely  reported,  some  being 
reprinted  for  circulation.  Gatherings  were  held  and 
hostile  resolutions  were  passed  by  some  local  branches 
of  the  Africander  Bond ;  but  their  language  served 
only  to  emphasise  the  need  for  the  movement  which 
they  tried  to  check. 

In  a  letter  to  his  friend,  Sir  Robert  Herbert,  the 
Permanent  Under  Secretary  at  the  Colonial  Office, 
Mackenzie  describes  one  of  his  lectures  : — 

I  am  happy  to  say  that  I  have  so  far  secured  public  ap- 
proval here  of  the  Dutch-speaking  students  of  Stellenbosch, 
an  intensely  Dutch  place,  where  the  College  of  the  Dutch 
Church  had  invited  me  to  lecture  to  them.  I  was  glad  to  go. 
My  great  object  was  to  cope  with  the  movement  which  im- 
pelled the  Ministers.  Concealed  as  it  was  in  the  lecture,  my 
object  was  to  deijwnstrate  the  necessity  for  Warren'' s  going  to 
Bechuanaland  in  a?iy  case.  If  he  did  not  go  the  Transvaal 
and  Cape  Colony  might  find  themselves  hopelessly  at  logger- 
heads, for  both  wanted  the  same  country,  and  the  method 
would  not  work  which  some  had  proposed,  viz.,  that  the 
freebooters  should  choose  what  government  they  would  come 
under,  for  the  freebooters  were  divided  on  this  question. 
Thus  the  presence  of  a  third  party — a  party  with  force  at  its 
command — was  absolutely  necessary  in  the  interests  of  peace 
and  a  common  welfare.  I  am  happy  to  say  this  produced 
a  great  impression  on  my  audience.  I  then  directed  their 
attention  to  the  advisableness  of  working  for  some  elementary 
plan  of  South  African  co-operation. 


364  JOHN  MACKENZIE 


The  students  cheered  my  lecture  throughout.  Dutch-speak- 
ing colonists,  farmers  and  others,  thought  my  proposal  for  a 
commission  under  Warren,  if  adopted,  would  be  the  saving 
of  the  whole  country.  When  I  told  them  that  the  lecture 
would  be  translated  into  Dutch  as  a  pamphlet  for  extensive 
circulation,  they  desired  that  a  considerable  number  should 
be  sent  to  Stellenbosch. 


It  was  only  after  I  had  lived  some  time  in  Cape  Town, 
that  I  came  to  realize  how  easily  you  might  have  been 
slipped  out  of  this  country  by  one  stroke  after  another  of 
Dutch  "slimness"  and  cunning,  followed  by  not  a  very  ex- 
alted action  by  English  politicians.  Mere  fighting  will  not 
do  all  that  is  required. 

My  friends  here  tried  to  persuade  me  not  to  resign,  but 
to  stand  aside  and  let  anyone  else  try  the  new  policy  of 
siding  with  Niekerk ;  and  if  it  failed,  to  retain  my  position. 
I  took  the  simpler  course. 

Mackenzie  published  a  letter,  signed  "Jan  Bergenaar," 
which  received  very  wide  attention,  and  was  circulated 
extensively  in  pamphlet  form.  In  this  letter  he  further 
developed  his  idea  that  there  ought  to  be  established 
in  South  Africa  a  commission  under  an  Imperial  Pre- 
sident, on  which  there  should  be  representatives  from 
every  separate  South  African  Government,  whose 
functions,  to  begin  with,  should  be  merely  advisory  ; 
and  the  members'  first  task  would  be  to  investigate 
and  advise  upon  the  Bechuanaland  problem.  He 
proposed  that  two  members  should  be  elected  by  the 
Government  Ministers  of  Cape  Colony,  one  by  the 
Free  State,  one  by  Natal,  one  by  the  Transvaal,  and 
that  one  should  be  appointed  by  the  High  Commis- 
sioner and  approved  by  Chiefs,  to  represent  the  native 
interests. 

This  proposal  was  much  discussed  in  connection 


THE  ROUSING  OF  CAPE  COLONY  365 


with  Warren's  arrival  as  Special  Commissioner  in 
South  Africa,  and  so  favourably  was  it  received  by 
many  of  the  leading  men,  that  it  might  easily  have 
been  carried  out  had  it  not  been  from  the  beginning 
disapproved  by  Sir  Hercules  Robinson.  It  would 
have  been  a  practical  step  towards  that  Confederation 
which  in  its  unpractical  forms  has  been  a  "  will-o'-the- 
wisp  "  in  South  African  history.  But  his  immediate 
purpose  was  expressed  in  the  words,  "  What  I  am 
working  for  is  to  give  the  Imperial  Government  some- 
thing to  lean  on  out  here." 

To  his  eldest  son  he  wrote  on  October  22nd  : — 

We  had  a  great  excitement  here  this  week.  The  an- 
nouncement, in  the  Pall  Mall  Gazette^  telegraphed  by  Reuter, 
that  Sir  Charles  Warren  was  to  be  sent  out  to  "  settle " 
Bechuanaland,  gave  everybody  pleasure  here  except  the  evil- 
doers. To  myself  especially  the  news  was  the  best  I  had 
had  for  some  time.  .  .  .  The  letters  from  my  Stellaland 
friends  in  the  Cape  Twies  show  that  really  some  of  those 
fellows  had  got  to  like  me  middling  well,  and  also  that  they 
have  some  ability.  They  have  not  worshipped  the  rising 
sun.  Government  House  people  tried  what  they  could  do 
with  the  editor  to  get  him  to  refuse  their  communications ; 
but  he  has  more  manly  sense  of  fair  play. 

I  ought  to  be  gratified  as  well  as  thankful  for  the  position 
which  I  have  been  able  to  take  up  here.  The  "  best  people," 
as  the  saying  goes,  are  very  kind,  and  ask  me  to  their  places, 
and  seem  really  interested.  ...  I  am  told  by  reliable 
authority  that  my  views  are  making  headway  among  the 
Dutch  people.  I  expect  this  week  or  next  to  meet  the  re- 
doubtable Mr  Hofmeyr,  the  most  powerful  man  in  South 
Africa  at  present ;  so  some  say.  It  may  seem  strange  that  we 
have  not  met  before.  ...  I  have  wanted  to  meet  him,  but 
did  not  want  to  press  for  it,  for  really  mine  is  an  educative 
work  here.  I  have  been  doing  that  every  day.  I  am  send- 
ing a  copy  of  my  lecture.  I  am  told  the  Dutch  like  it  ;  but 
it  has  been  misapprehended  in  some  quarters — notably  in 
Natal.  ...  I  am  firing  away  every  Sunday  now  as  a  preacher. 
I  think  I  mentioned  that  they  would  like  me  to  make  an  en- 


366 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


gagement,  for  say  three  months,  to  supply  a  little  chapel  in 
this  neighbourhood — £300  per  annum. 

Did  I  mention  that  they  are  trying  to  start  a  political 
association  here,  which  shall  bind  the  colonists  to  England, 
and  really  undo  the  work  of  the  Africander  Bond?  They 
showed  me  a  projected  prospectus ;  in  fact  I  have  seen  more 
than  one,  and  have  myself  supplied  one.  The  thing  could 
be  done,  but  some  of  them  are  taking  the  wrong  v/ay  to  do  it 
— bawling  out  their  Englishness  and  the  goodness  of  England 
at  the  top  of  their  voices.  .  .  .  Captain  Bower  is  strong  for 
the  grandiose  style  which  I  was  opposing.  "  I  go  for  the 
Union  Jack — that's  my  motto."  And  this  is  to  save  South 
Africa  for  England  at  a  crisis  in  our  history  !  I  have  striven 
to  impress  it  on  them  that  our  hope  is  in  the  respectable 
Dutch  people.  Some  of  the  English  hate  me  for  saying  this. 
They  would  really  like  to  see  them  soundly  thrashed,  and 
English  notions  crammed  down  their  throats  whether  they 
were  willing  or  not.  I  said  to  the  Governor  and  to  others 
— "  Your  hope  is  in  meeting  the  Dutch  and  the  Africander 
Bond  on  its  own  ground  and  fighting  it.  This  you  can  do, 
and  succeed.  By  the  diffusion  of  sound  and  reliable  infor- 
mation you  can  educate  your  people.  If  you  say  this  is 
impossible  the  game  is  up.  England  would  not  wish  to 
coerce  a  whole  community."  The  Governor  has  got  into 
very  strained  relations  with  his  present  ministers,  while  he 
keeps  up  a  good  deal  of  intercourse  with  his  late  advisers. 
The  Association  to  which  I  refer  is  supported  almost  entirely 
by  Scanlen's  supporters.  This  is  a  great  mistake ;  its  basis 
ought  to  be  widened  so  that  the  best  Dutch  could  join. 

Meanwhile  Sir  Hercules  Robinson  was  being  driven 
to  a  firmer  position.  Towards  the  end  of  September 
he  announces  to  Lord  Derby,  "  That  it  appears  to  me 
that  Her  Majesty's  Government  must  either  abandon 
the  Protectorate  or  the  Convention,  or  announce  to 
the  freebooters  of  the  South  African  Republic  that 
existing  arrangements  will  be  enforced,  if  necessary,  by 
the  adoption  of  active  measures."  On  October  13  th, 
he  is  prepared  to  propose  that  a  force  of  not  less  than 
1000  or  1200  mounted  men  should  be  sent  to  secure 


THE  ROUSING  OF  CAPE  COLONY  367 


peace,  and  he  proposes  that  Sir  Charles  Warren  should 
be  appointed  in  command  of  the  expedition.  It  was 
not  three  months  since  he  had  been  cross-questioning 
Mackenzie  regarding  the  expense  of  sending  200 
volunteers  to  the  same  territories,  because  he  was  sure 
that  the  British  taxpayers  would  resent  it !  The 
popular  indignation  over  recent  events,  and  Robinson's 
sudden  boldness,  made  the  Cape  jMinisters,  the  friends 
of  Mr  Hofmeyr,  desperate  ;  they  now  proposed  that 
the  High  Commissioner  should  prevent  the  Imperial 
Government  from  acting,  and  allow  them  personally  to 
make  peace  in  Goshen.  After  considerable  controversy 
Robinson  agreed,  and  the  Prime  Minister,  Mr  Upington, 
went  north  with  Mr  Gordon  Sprigg  in  the  middle  of 
November  on  their  Quixotic  enterprise.  Their  negotia- 
tions with  Pittius  and  his  freebooters  resulted  in 
proposals  so  shameful,  that  when  they  were  sub- 
mitted to  Robinson  he  would  do  nothing  but  treat 
them  with  contempt.  When  Messrs  Upington  and 
Sprigg  passed  back  through  the  Colony,  they  were 
accorded  anything  but  a  favourable  reception.  On  the 
night  of  their  arrival  in  Kimberley  their  effigies  were 
burned  in  public,  and  the  same  thing  occurred  at  Cape 
Town.  A  public  meeting  was  also  held  at  the  latter 
place,  at  which  once  more,  Mackenzie,  whose  name  was 
not  on  the  programme,  was  compelled  by  the  gathering 
to  speak.  He  says  of  this  speech,  "  I  endeavoured  in 
perfect  good  faith  to  lay  what  I  regarded  as  the  real 
question  before  the  enthusiastic  meeting,  and  to  with- 
draw as  far  as  I  could  popular  indignation  from  the 
unfortunate  ministers  themselves."  He  called  for  the 
public  support  of  Sir  Charles  Warren.  "  Let  him 
settle  the  question  in  all  its  bearings,  as  if  there  had 
been  no  Mackenzie,  no  Rhodes,  no  Bower."  The 
following  sentences  are  also  significant.  "  When  asked 
after  the  meeting  to  join  those  who  were  spectators  at 


368 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


the  effigy  burning,  I  declined  to  do  so ;  the  only- 
personal  allusion  made  (and  I  must  admit  that  the 
temptation  was  great)  was,  on  rising,  in  a  single 
sentence  to  recall  to  mind  the  words  '  injudicious  and 
unpopular,'  which  the  Cape  Ministers  in  an  official 
minute  had  used  of  me  as  an  Imperial  officer  acting 
beyond  the  Colony.  The  striking  application  of  their 
own  words  to  themselves  was  clear  enough,  and  caused 
great  amusement  to  the  meeting."^ 

Mackenzie  discovered  that  som^e  of  his  most 
important  despatches  about  Bechuanaland  had  not 
been  printed,  and  he  at  once  set  about  copying  some 
of  these  and  sending  them  to  people  of  influence,  both 
in  South  Africa  and  in  England.  At  the  same  time, 
he  could  not  live  where  he  did  at  this  time  without 
seeing  week  by  week  more  deeply  into  the  nature  of 
the  opposition  to  himself  and  the  means  which  had 
been  employed  to  unseat  him.  Some  of  these  dis- 
coveries he  described  at  length  to  several  correspon- 
dents. One  of  those  to  whom  he  wrote  most  fully  and 
freely  was  Dr  Dale  of  Birmingham.  Writing  to  him 
on  November  19th,  he  names  some  of  the  men  who 
worked  for  his  resignation. 

Land  was  at  the  bottom  of  that.  Had  Sir  Hercules 
Robinson  stood  firm  then,  things  would  not  have  been  quite 
so  bad — although  Goshen  was  always  beyond  the  manage- 
ment of  a  Deputy  Commissioner,  because  it  was  practically 
the  Transvaal,  and  this  I  pointed  out  as  soon  as  I  visited  the 
country. 

The  Blue-books,  if  they  are  all  out,  will  tell  the  story 
pretty  clearly.  I  am  anxious  that  you  should  know  the 
merits  of  the  case.  My  success  in  Bechuanaland  was  real. 
But  I  had  no  support  from  behind.  Sir  H.  Robinson  was 
favourable  himself, but  what  could  he  do  with  his  surroundings? 

"  I  never  knew,  Mackenzie,  that  missionaries  were  so 
detested  here,  or  I  should  have  hesitated  to  recommend 

^  ''Austral  Africa,"  vol.  i.  pp.  514,  516. 


THE  ROUSING  OF  CAPE  COLONY  369 


you."  "How  are  they  detested,  sir?"  "Why,  I  am  told 
they  are  everywhere  looked  down  on,  and  you  know  the 
opposition  you  are  getting."  "They  are  not  looked  down 
on,  sir ;  they  are  everywhere  received  into  the  '  best ' 
colonial  families,  and  belong  to  them  by  intermarriage.  As 
to  the  opposition  to  me,  if  you  cared  to  trace  it,  you 
would  track  it  home  to  two  sources — prejudice  among  the 
Dutch  who  don't  know  me,  and  base  selfishness  among 
some  of  my  own  fellow  countrymen,  who  know  that  I  am 
too  well  qualified  for  the  work  given  to  me  to  suit  their 
book  as  land-grabbers." 

This  took  place  at  my  recall.  It  was  in  an  atmosphere 
such  as  that  that  my  "  resignation  "  took  place.  They  will 
turn  against  Warren  too,  for  he  is  a  straight  Christian  man ; 
but  they  won't  be  able  to  raise  the  same  "  make-believe " 
stories  about  him. 

A  very  amusing  thing  has  happened.  Sprigg  and 
Upington  have  gone  to  Bechuanaland,  where  they  said 
some  months  ago,  Mackenzie  was  the  chief,  if  not  the 
only,  cause  of  the  disturbance.  They  are  trotted  out  to 
put  down  this  disturbance  by  Hofmeyr  &  Co.,  and  when 
they  get  to  Stellaland  they  are  met  with  a  petition,  openly 
in  course  of  signature,  to  the  High  Commissioner,  asking 
that  Mackenzie  should  be  sent  back  to  Bechuanaland ! 
What  I  say  about  this  really  wonderful  movement  is  that 
I  have  never  answered  one  of  these  fellows'  letters,  lest  it 
should  be  said  that  I  was  undermining  my  successors. 

A  few  weeks  later,  December  24th,  he  knows  still 
more,  and  enters  into  particulars  which  even  at  this 
date  his  biographer  may  not  print.  After  naming  the 
men,  their  interest  in  land,  their  control  of  the  news 
agency,  he  describes  the  tremendous  influence  which 
they  exercised  at  Government  House.  One  sentence 
is  of  peculiar  significance. 

"  I  saw  a  copy  of  a  letter  in  which  one  of  the  men  in 
this  '  swim '  writes  to  another,  and  asks  him  why  he  still 
trusts  in  Mackenzie,  a  political  suicide,  a  broken  reed ; 
that  is  to  say,  an  honest  man  who  is  not  to  be  bought." 

In  a  similar  strain  he  writes  to  Mr  Stead  on  the 
last  day  of  that  year. 

2  A 


370  JOHN  MACKENZIE 


Why  I  have  not  written  to  you  has  been  that  1  have  been 
copying  despatches  of  mine  that  have  not  been  published. 
I  am  sending  copies  to  friends.  Mr  Chesson  has  a  copy 
which  I  have  asked  him  to  show  you,  if  you  care  for  it. 

The  keeping  quiet  the  important  statement  about  land 
in  Mankoroane's  is  alarming ;  in  fact,  unless  the  thing  is 
hushed  up  Sir  C.  Warren  must  stumble  over  it  and  expose 
a  big  thing  in  land,  and  it  was  that  big  thing  which  kicked 
me  out  of  ofifice.  The  Dutch  opposition  was  there,  but 
could  not  have  done  it.  Why  was  there  English  opposi- 
tion ?    Land  !    Or  I  am  a  Dutchman  also. 

In  several  of  these  quotations  Mackenzie  has 
emphasised  the  fact  that  after  leaving  Stellaland  in 
the  hands  of  his  successor,  he  was  most  careful  to 
hold  no  correspondence  with  his  friends  there,  for 
the  simple  reason  that  he  did  not  wish  even  to 
seem  to  interfere  with  the  success  of  those  who 
supplanted  him.  It  can  be  said  with  all  truth  that 
he  was  willing  to  put  his  whole  heart  into  the  work 
of  making  the  administration  of  Mr  Rhodes  successful. 
He  spared  no  pains  to  advise  with  the  High  Com- 
missioner and  Captain  Bower  regarding  the  right 
steps  to  take  for  the  establishment  of  the  Protectorate. 

Mackenzie  was  ever  a  poor  man,  and  one  of  the 
stern  facts  which  faced  him  at  Cape  Town  was  that 
he  must  find  some  means  of  livelihood  before  long. 
He  took  some  share,  as  we  have  seen,  in  an  effort  to 
establish  an  association  of  the  friends  of  British 
supremacy  in  South  Africa,  and  at  one  time  it  was 
proposed  that  he  should  become  paid  secretary  of  this 
association,  but  he  avoided  this  when  he  discovered 
that  the  league  was  being  constructed  on  too  narrow  a 
basis.  He  had  no  more  sympathy,  as  he  so  often  said, 
with  the  English  howlers  than  with  those  of  Dutch 
extraction.  He  could  only  approve  of  movements 
which  aimed  at  the  establishment  of  British  authority 
for  the  sake  of  all  races  in  South  Africa.  He  could 
no  more  be  brought  to  sympathise  with  an  outcry 


THE  ROUSING  OF  CAPE  COLONY  371 


for  mere  Anglo-Saxon  supremacy  than  with  one  for 
mere  Dutch  or  Kaffir  supremacy. 

In  a  letter  to  his  wife  he  describes  yet  another 
proposal  which  came  before  him  : — 

Did  I  tell  you  that  Rhodes  and  Bower — through  the 
latter — wanted  to  interest  themselves  in  my  personal  affairs, 
and  offered  to  advance  ^500,  and  purchase  for  me  the 
Eastern  Star  paper  in  Graham  stown  ?  I  respectfully 
declined.  Bower  tried  my  patience  to  the  very  utmost 
limit  by  assuring  me  and  re-assuring  me  that  he  wants  to 
assist  me  to  "get  something."  He  takes  up  the  role  of 
special  friend. 

You  will  see  by  the  papers  that  I  speak  at  the  Empire 
League  meeting  at  Wynberg.  I  went  really  for  Searle's 
sake,  who  has  been  so  kind  and  nice,  and  who  is  a 
sterling  man.  Well,  Bower  was  good  enough  in  the  after- 
noon, in  his  office,  to  go  over  what  he  thought  I  ought  to 
say  !  I  listened  patiently — so  far  as  outward  mien  went — 
ready  to  explode  in  reality.  But  what  capped  all  was,  find- 
ing I  was  so  docile,  he  actually  asked  me  to  show  him  my 
notes  of  my  speech,  that  he  might  make  suggestions  !  He 
seemed  surprised  when  I  said,  "  Tuts,  man ;  my  notes  ? 
No,  no!" 

In  the  middle  of  November  there  arrived  a  letter 
from  Mr  Wardlaw  Thompson,  Secretary  of  the  London 
Missionary  Society,  which  gave  Mackenzie  as  much 
pure  pleasure  as  almost  any  event  in  his  public  life. 
He  describes  this  to  the  portion  of  his  family  who 
were  in  Scotland. 

I  have  had  a  great  pleasure  this  week,  and  hasten  to 
make  you  at  home  sharers  of  it,  if  you  have  not  heard  of 
it.  The  Directors  of  the  L.  M.  S.  have  been  good  enough 
to  send  out  a  Resolution,  which  virtually  says,  If  you 
want  money,  draw  it  at  the  rate  of  the  married  missionary. 
If  you  rejoin  the  Society  then  your  drawings  will  have  been 
your  salary.  If  you  enter  government  or  other  work,  then 
you  can  refund  as  you  are  able." 

Now,  what  do  you  think  of  the  dear  old  L.  M.  S.  ?  I 
mean  to  say  it  is  nobly  done.  I  count  it  one  of  the 
honours  of  my  life  to  reconnect  myself  in  this  way.  I 


372 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


shall  accept  of  the  honour  which  they  do  me,  but  I  trust 
I  shall  not  need  to  draw  money.  I  feel  quite  lifted  up 
in  my  own  mind  with  great  thankfulness  that  the  Directors 
are  such  broad-minded,  thoughtful,  Christian  gentlemen. 

He  refers  to  the  same  offer  in  a  letter  to  Dr  Dale, 
from  which  we  have  already  quoted,  and  in  the  same 
strain  of  joy  and  thankfulness  : — 

I  consider  that  offer  one  of  the  greatest  honours  of  my 
life.  I  shall  never  forget  it.  I  hope  to  be  able  to  do 
without  the  actual  money,  but  the  generous  friendly  offer 
o/iti  mean  at  once  to  accept. 

Mackenzie,  in  spite  of  the  fact  that  he  took  the 
duties  of  life  with  great  seriousness,  was  not  a  man 
v/ho  allowed  himself  to  be  depressed  as  long  as  he 
saw  some  definite  work  to  be  done.  To  have  a  great 
duty  upon  him  was  no  burden  but  an  inspiration  ;  it 
absorbed  him  completely,  making  him  at  almost  each 
turn  in  his  life  a  man,  for^the  time  being,  of  one  idea. 
His  complete  devotion  at  this  period  to  the  service  of 
South  Africa  sustained  him  amidst  public  trials  and 
private  anxieties  which  might  have  crushed  a  less  faith- 
ful man. 

To  Dale  he  writes  in  the  month  of  November : — 

As  to  these  (my  future  plans)  I  just  feel,  Dr  Dale,  that  I 
have  put  my  hand  to  this  plough,  and  do  not  want  to  turn 
aside  while  I  can  do  work  for  the  unifying  of  South  Africa 
under  the  Crown,  for  peaceful  expansion  and  for  territorial 
government.  Considering  everything,  Her  Majesty's  Govern- 
ment may  find  work  for  a  person  like  myself.  I  am  still  at 
their  service.  Of  course,  I  deeply  feel  that  I  have  been 
unjustly  dealt  with.  I  blame  no  one.  The  fact,  however,  is 
there.    I  do  not  bate  a  jot  in  hopefulness. 

You  ought  to  have  heard  the  Dutch  students  cheer  my 
lecture,  and  cheer  me  too.  The  dear  old  Society  is  as  dear  to 
me  as  ever;  in  some  sense  dearer  even.  If  it  were  not  for  the 
weight  of  this  other  business  I  should  just  knock  at  their  door 
as  I  did  some  thirty  years  ago.  Of  course,  I  cannot  remain 
long  as  I  am  here — staying  merely  for  public  reasons.  The 


THE  ROUSING  OF  CAPE  COLONY  373 


pot  must  be  kept  boiling,  and  five  months'  separation  from 
my  family  is  a  good  while. 

To  his  wife  he  writes  in  November  : — 

When  I  saw  His  Excellency  yesterday  he  was  more  than 
usually  "  furthy  "  and  kind.  He  said  Lord  Derby  had  thought 
of  employing  me  in  Zululand,  "  but  really,"  he  added,  referring 
to  a  recent  telegram,  "  one  does  not  know  what  to  expect, 
for  here,  he  declares,  they  are  not  going  to  touch  Zululand." 
I  did  not  ask  any  questions,  or  refer  to  the  matter  again.  So 
you  know  what  I  know,  that  the  Colonial  Office  still  think  me 
eligible  for  their  work. 

Robinson  is  not  courageous  enough.  His  opinion  about 
me  is  favourable  enough,  but  he  has  been  brow-beaten  by 
those  around  him.  But  cheer  up,  dearie,  the  work  which  I 
am  attempting  is  a  great  one  ;  if  I  can  only  do  it  partially  I 
shall  be  pleased  to  see  it  complete — a  united  peaceful  South 
Africa  under  the  Queen,  with  territorial  government  of  native 
states.  .  .  .  May  it  please  Him  who  has  the  hearts  of  all  men 
in  His  hand  so  to  dispose  of  events  as  to  bring  this  speedily 
about. 


CHAPTER  XIV 


AFRICA  THE  WARREN  EXPEDITION  (1885) 

We  come  now  to  an  event  in  South  African  history 
which  for  a  time  awoke  the  utmost  enthusiasm  amongst 
the  vast  majority  of  human  beings  in  that  region.  It 
seemed  to  usher  in  a  new  age,  and  to  estabhsh  the 
British  Government  in  new  relations  with  every  colony, 
state,  and  territory.  When  Sir  Charles  Warren  arrived 
at  Cape  Town,  and  there  mobilised  his  force  of  four 
thousand  men,  he  was  welcomed,  says  Mackenzie,  as 
no  other  British  officer  ever  had  been  welcomed  in 
that  country.^ 

There  was  the  utmost  confidence  in  the  personality 
of  the  Special  Commissioner,  whose  long  experience  of 
South  African  affairs  and  high  character  made  his  a 
name  to  conjure  with  among  both  black  and  white  of 
all  races. 

Sir  Charles  speedily  found  himself  in  a  hotbed  of 
intrigue.  His  difficulties  we  need  not  here  detail, 
except  in  so  far  as  they  have  to  do  with  the  life  of 
Mackenzie.  Mackenzie  recalls  with  amusement  the 
fact  that  Sir  Hercules  Robinson  actually  requested 
Warren  not  to  consult  Mackenzie  regarding  the  affairs 
of  Bechuanaland.  To  this,  of  course.  Sir  Charles 
agreed,  and  he  only  saw  his  old  friend  two  or  three 
times  for  brief  interviews  in  public  in  Cape  Town. 
Sir  Charles  Warren  called  for  volunteers,  and  without 
difficulty  formed  a  splendid  regiment  of  horsemen  to 

^  "Austral  Africa,"  vol  ii.  p.  37. 

374 


THE  WARREN  EXPEDITION  375 


the  number  of  six  hundred  picked  men,  and  the 
appHcants  were  so  numerous,  "  that  several  good 
regiments  could  have  been  enrolled  instead  of 
one."  1 

One  of  the  Special  Commissioner's  first  discoveries 
when  he  reached  Stellaland  was  of  a  most  disagreeable 
nature.  On  the  second  day  after  his  arrival  at  Cape 
Town  the  High  Commissioner  and  Captain  Bower 
had  pressed  him  to  initial  a  telegram,  which  they 
told  him  would  prevent  disturbances  in  Stellaland. 
He  could  not,  of  course,  thus  early  have  understood 
its  real  purport,  but  accepted  the  word  of  the  High 
Commissioner,  and  the  telegram  was  sent  with  his 
authority.  He  found  afterwards  that  the  effect  of 
it  was  to  confirm  Mr  Rhodes's  agreement  with  Van 
Niekerk  of  September  8th,  and  thus  to  confirm  all  land 
titles  issued  by  Niekerk  without  inquiry,  as  well  as  to 
continue  the  authority  of  Niekerk  in  Stellaland.  This 
preposterous  arrangement  he  repudiated  as  soon  as  it 
was  discovered,  but  the  repudiation  cost  him  much 
correspondence  and  bitter  criticism  from  those  who 
were  interested. 

Once  more  the  interesting  fact  is  to  be  recorded, 
that  regarding  this  very  telegram  Sir  Hercules  Robin- 
son had  besought  Sir  Charles  Warren  not  to  tell 
Mackenzie  about  it.^ 

On  January  16,  1885,  Mackenzie  received  a  mes- 
sage from  Sir  Charles  Warren  inviting  him  to  pro- 
ceed at  once  to  his  headquarters.  He  arrived  at 
Barkly  West  in  three  days,  and  from  that  day  Mac- 
kenzie was  a  member  of  the  Warren  expedition,  hold- 
ing his  official  position  on  the  Intelligence  Department. 
His  services  to  Sir  Charles  were  varied,  numerous,  and 
of  vital  importance  ;  the  two  old  friends  struck  the 
roots  of  their  friendship  still  deeper  during  the  ensuing 
months,  occupying,  for  most  of  the  time,  the  same 

^  "Austral  Africa,"  vol,  ii,  p.  41.  ^  C. — 4432,  p.  119. 


376 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


tent,  and  consulting  together  about  every  important 
movement  of  the  troops  or  decision  of  the  Commis- 
sioner. When  in  August  1885,  Sir  Charles  Warren 
reported  to  the  Home  Government  regarding  the 
officers  who  had  rendered  special  services  to  him,  he 
named  Mackenzie  at  the  head  of  the  list.  It  is  a 
satisfaction  to  be  able  to  record  that  he  also  mentioned 
in  terms  of  very  warm  praise  two  of  the  men  whom 
Mackenzie  had  selected  as  his  own  assistants  in 
Bechuanaland,  namely,  Major  Stanley  Lowe  and  Mr 
J.  M.  Wright  of  Mafeking. 

Concerning  Mackenzie,  the  following  is  his  report : — 

I.  Reverend  J.  Mackenzie,  whose  employment  has  been 
specially  sanctioned  by  the  Secretary  of  State,  has  rendered 
most  important  services,  and  I  cannot  too  strongly  express 
how  much  I  am  indebted  to  him  for  the  assistance  he  has 
rendered  to  Her  Majesty's  Government.  He  has  acted  on 
several  committees  of  inquiry  and  investigation  with  great 
success ;  his  assistance  to  the  military  tribunal  ordered  by  the 
Secretary  of  State  has  been  simply  invaluable.  There  is,  I 
think,  no  one  else  in  South  Africa  who  could  have  given  the 
assistance  he  has  given. 

The  confidence  reposed  in  him  by  not  only  the  native 
tribes,  but  also  by  the  Dutch  and  English  population  has 
been  most  marked.  At  the  meeting  of  Fourteen  Streams 
with  President  Kruger,  the  presence  of  Mr  Mackenzie  was 
most  conducive  to  the  pacific  arrangements,  and  I  consider 
the  complete  success  of  the  expedition  is  due  in  a  marked 
degree  to  his  cordial  co-operation  and  aid. 

His  complete  knowledge  of  the  Sechuana  language,  and 
good  influence  over  the  native  tribes,  has  enabled  me  the 
better  to  keep  the  natives  and  whites  at  peace  pending  the 
land  settlement ;  and  I  may  further  add  that  I  have  little 
doubt  that  the  cordial  reception  of  the  protectorate  by 
both  the  chiefs,  Khama  and  Sechele,  is  due  to  the  fact 
that  the  natives  have  such  great  confidence  in  his  good 
faith. 

Reference  is  made  in  this  report  to  the  meeting  at 
Fourteen  Streams  where  Sir  Charles  Warren  and  Pre- 


THE  WARREN  EXPEDITION  377 


sident  Kruger  held  a  conference.  The  President  was 
obviously  alarmed  at  the  strength  of  the  Warren  ex- 
pedition, and  manifested  his  alarm  in  his  eagerness  to 
disown  the  Goshenites.  It  must  be  remembered  that 
these  events  occurred  before  the  discovery  of  gold, 
while  the  Transvaal  was  yet  poor,  and  at  a  time  when, 
in  spite  of  recent  pecuniary  relief  accorded  it  by  Great 
Britain,  the  government  of  the  South  African  Republic 
was  drifting  rapidly  into  poverty  and  disorganisation. 
The  appearance,  therefore,  of  so  formidable  a  com- 
mander, with  so  powerful  and  splendidly  equipped  an 
army,  created  alarm  in  the  guilty  consciences  at 
Pretoria,  and  Mr  Kruger  hastened  to  Goshen.  There 
he  imperatively  ordered  the  Boers  to  cease  from 
aggressive  operations  against  Montsioa,  and  then  he 
went  down  the  border  to  the  nearest  point  at  which 
he  could  meet  with  Sir  Charles.  The  discussions  be- 
tween Sir  Charles  Warren  and  President  Kruger 
resulted  in  the  assertion  and  vindication  of  British 
supremacy  in  Bechuanaland  ;  and  the  effect  of  this 
conference,  as  of  the  entire  expedition,  might  have 
been  the  permanent  establishment  of  that  supremacy 
in  a  manner  that  would  have  prevented  the  de- 
velopment of  Boer  ideals  regarding  a  Dutch  South 
Africa. 

Both  Mackenzie  and  Mr  Rhodes  were  present  at 
this  most  interesting  interview.  The  High  Com- 
missioner warned  Sir  Charles  Warren  against  taking 
Mackenzie,  because  of  the  dislike  of  President  Kruger 
towards  him  ;  but  Mackenzie  records  that  Mr  Kruger 
treated  him  with  courtesy  and  consideration.  And 
Sir  Charles  Warren  has  put  it  on  record  that  the 
presence  of  the  latter  was  of  material  value  to  him 
and  his  interests  on  that  occasion.  Once  more  it 
was  demonstrated  that  the  Cape  Town  cry,  that  the 
Dutch  hated  Mackenzie  personally,  was  entirely  base- 


378 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


less  ;  opposition  to  him  existed  on  the  part  only  of 
those  who  saw  that  his  policy  must  defeat  theirs,  and 
the  true  friends  of  Great  Britain  and  British  South 
Africa  ought  to  have  seen  this. 

The  manner  in  which  Imperial  interests  were  treated 
at  this  time  is  well  illustrated  by  the  disagreeable 
history  of  a  certain  petition  which  may  be  here  re- 
lated. The  petition  has  been  referred  to  in  one  of 
Mackenzie's  letters  already  quoted.  It  was  drawn  up 
by  the  loyalist  Stellalanders  as  a  courageous  protest 
against  the  Niekerk-Rhodes  agreement  and  subsequent 
regime.  On  November  5th,  1884,  they  held  a  public 
meeting  at  Vryburg,  at  which  it  was  agreed  to  obtain 
signatures  throughout  British  Stellaland  to  a  state- 
ment of  their  true  feelings  regarding  Mackenzie  and 
a  request  for  his  reappointment.  After  recalling 
the  assertion  of  the  Imperial  Secretary,  Captain 
Bower,  that  he  (Mackenzie)  "  never  at  any  time 
possessed  the  confidence  of  more  than  fifty  of  the 
inhabitants  of  Stellaland,  and  that  only  four  of 
the  farmer  class  accorded  him  their  support,"  they 
affirm  that  "  the  majority  of  the  land  owners  and 
inhabitants  in  Stellaland "  had  welcomed  his  arrival, 
and  "  felt  sure  that  the  policy  which  Mr  Mackenzie 
inaugurated  and  endeavoured  to  carry  out  was  the 
best  for  the  country."  They  add  the  following, 
"  Your  petitioners,  placing  implicit  trust  in  Mr 
Mackenzie's  ability  to  bring  about  so  satisfactory  a 
state  of  affairs,  are,  therefore,  still  hopeful  that  it 
may  please  your  Excellency  to  reinstate  him  in  his 
former  office,  and  promise  in  that  event  to  afford 
him  every  material  assistance  lying  in  their  power 
in  support  of  his  administration." 

The  covering  letter  requests  the  High  Commissioner 
to  cable  this  petition  to  Lord  Derby,  and  states  that 
"  more  than  one  half  of  the  bona  fide  owners  of  land 


THE  WARREN  EXPEDITION  379 


in  Stellaland  '  proper '  have  signed  the  same,  and 
further,  that  the  great  majority  of  the  signatures  are 
of  Dutch  Africanders  of  the  farmer  class."  The 
letter  adds  that  many  more  would  have  signed  had 
it  not  been  for  fear  of  threats  "  held  out  by  Niekerk's 
party."  This  petition  was  returned  from  Cape  Town 
by  Captain  Bower  to  Mr  Rhodes  in  Stellaland  be- 
cause, he  explained,  it  ought  to  have  been  officially 
sent  through  him.  Nothing  more  was  done  till 
February  5th  and  6th,  1885,  when  Mr  Rhodes 
began  an  inquiry  into  the  genuineness  of  the  signa- 
tures, and  cast  doubt  upon  eight.  Sir  Charles  Warren 
arrived  at  Vryburg  on  February  7th,  and  was  not 
informed  of  the  existence  of  the  petition.  Months 
afterwards  he  heard  of  it,  when  the  Stellalanders 
themselves  went  to  him  to  report  that  they  had  not 
found  it  in  the  Blue  Books.  He  at  once  appointed 
three  British  officers  to  investigate  the  history  and 
value  of  this  petition  ;  and  they  proved  that  only 
one  signature  could  be  condemned.  In  his  report 
on  this  matter  Sir  Charles  Warren  says,  "  In  con- 
clusion, I  have  pointed  out  that  one  of  the  strongest 
proofs  of  the  good  feeling  towards  Mr  Mackenzie 
is  given  by  the  fact  that  so  many  months  after  he 
left,  and  in  spite  of  the  coercion  of  Niekerk  and  his 
faction,  so  many  (94)  of  the  farmers  should  have 
petitioned  for  his  return.  ...  I  am  convinced 
that  if  Mr  Mackenzie  had  had  fair  play  he  would 
have  settled  these  territories  at  the  time  he 
came  up  without  a  stronger  force  than  two  hundred 
police." 

It  would  be  out  of  place  to  make  any  comment 
on  these  transactions,  which  Mackenzie  himself  after- 
wards described  with  the  utmost  self-restraint. 

But  to  return.  When  Sir  Charles  Warren  began 
his    journey    to    Vryburg,   Mr    Rhodes,  with  that 


38o 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


petition  in  his  possession,  assured  the  General  that 
if  Mackenzie  went  into  Stellaland  with  the  expedition 
he  himself  would  not  go.  Mackenzie,  very  sure  that 
various  discoveries  were  coming,  was  quite  willing 
to  be  absent,  and  offered  to  retire.  It  was  arranged 
by  Sir  Charles  that  he  should  be  sent  on  a  special 
mission  westwards  as  far  as  Kuruman,  to  gather 
information  regarding  the  state  of  the  country  and 
report.  This  enabled  Mackenzie  to  enjoy  a  glimpse 
of  his  wife  and  two  children  after  a  separation  of 
more  than  six  months.  While  he  was  there,  busily 
at  work,  a  message  suddenly  arrived  summoning  him 
immediately  to  Vryburg.  It  appeared  that  Niekerk 
had  actually  been  arrested,  and  was  about  to  be 
put  on  his  trial  for  complicity  in  the  murder  of  a 
man  named  Honey  in  the  year  1883.  The  murder 
had  been  carried  through  at  Niekerk's  instigation, 
and  under  circumstances  peculiarly  foul  and  cruel. 
As  soon  as  the  Cape  Town  officials  heard  of  this 
trial  fresh  excitement  and  indignation  were  aroused. 
The  representatives  of  Great  Britain  did  all  they 
could  to  prevent  the  unfolding  of  this  story.  Captain 
Bower,  oblivious  to  exact  dates,  sent  a  message 
to  the  General  that  Mackenzie  had  known  of 
this  murder,  and  had  condoned  it.  It  was  a  fact 
that  the  Captain  himself,  without  knowing  the  full 
truth  possibly,  had  ignored  it  ;  but  Sir  Charles 
Warren  could  not  believe  that  Mackenzie  had  taken 
any  such  extraordinary  step,  and  at  once  sent  for 
him. 

While  arrangements  for  that  trial  were  going  on, 
Mr  Rhodes  himself  left  Stellaland  and  went  to  in- 
crease the  pressure  which  was  being  exerted  for  the 
defeat  of  the  Warren  expedition  from  Government 
House,  Cape  Town. 

The  result  of  the  trial  was  that  only  part  of  the 


THE  WARREN  EXPEDITION  381 


story  became  revealed  in  evidence  ;  the  prosecution 
was  stopped,  and  Niekerk  released  on  technical 
grounds.  These  facts  are  fully  detailed  by 
Mackenzie.^ 

During  the  expedition  Mackenzie  was  appointed  to 
various  duties,  such  as  service  on  special  committees, 
which  involved  him  in  a  large  amount  of  hard  work. 
The  Blue  Books  contain  evidence  of  the  thoroughness 
with  which  he  carried  out  the  duties  assigned  to  him. 
He  was  chairman  of  the  Committee  on  Native  Laws, 
which  comprised,  besides  himself,  six  officers  of  the 
expedition.  This  committee  conducted  investigations 
and  made  elaborate  reports. 

On  their  way  to  Mafeking,  Mackenzie  wrote  to  his 
wife  a  letter  which  refers  to  some  matters  already 
mentioned,  and  gives  the  reader  a  feeling  for  the 
atmosphere  in  which  the  members  of  this  Expedition 
lived. 

Maritsane  Drift. 

We  got  to  this  place  about  three  this  morning,  and  had  a 
good  sleep  after. 

Do  you  know  what  has  happened?  Lord  Derby  has 
telegraphed  out  to  Sir  H.  R.,  who  sends  it  on  to  Sir  C.  W., 
that  the  latter  should  not  have  Mackenzie  with  him  ;  it  might 
(or  would)  hinder  the  settlement ! 

This  came  while  I  was  still  at  Vryburg.  Sir  C.  said,  "  I'll 
telegraph  to  them  that  I'll  settle  this  in  my  own  way,  and  by 
whom  I  please,  or  resign."  The  threat  part  was  dropped,  but 
he  telegraphed  home  in  cipher  to  Lord  Derby  to  say  that 
he  considered  my  presence  necessary,  and  that  the  greatest 
misapprehension  prevailed  concerning  me.  He  then  tele- 
graphed to  Sir  Leicester  Smythe,  Lieut.-Governor  and 
Commander-in-Chief  at  the  Cape,  telling  him  what  had  taken 
place,  and  declaring  that  he  never  knew  a  case  of  such 
persecution  as  mine  was,  and  could  he  use  his  influence  in 
the  right  direction  ?  This  is  what  he  did,  after  consulting 
with  his  officers.    I  said,  on  the  first  flush  of  the  matter, 

^  "Austral  Africa,"  vol.  ii.  pp.  133-153. 


382 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


"  Let  me  go,  and  have  done  with  this."  He  answered  very 
strongly  that  he  would  not  hear  of  it.  It  then  occurred  to 
me  that  this  was  really  the  first  step  towards  the  hasty  handing 
over  of  the  country  to  the  Cape.  They  know  that  I  am 
opposed  to  this.  I  wrote  privately  to  that  effect  to 
Sir  Robert  Herbert  some  time  ago ;  also  to  others.  It  is 
evident  the  Government  are  prepared  to  make  a  hasty 
settlement  and  retire  from  the  country,  and  leave  the  same 
dreadful  programme  of  falsehood,  robbery,  and  blood  to  be 
carried  on  elsewhere.  Of  course  Sir  C.  W.  is  opposed  to 
this,  but  how  far  his  position  may  come  to  be  that  of  a  man 
under  orders  I  don't  know.  I  still  hope  on  ;  with  God's 
help  the  thing  is  bound  to  come  right.  I  saw  in  a  Cape 
paper — you  look  and  find  it  too — that  the  Cape  branch  of 
the  Africander  Bond  had  resolved  at  a  recent  meeting  to  give 
special  attention  to  the  subject  of  confederation.  This  is 
an  immense  move  in  the  right  direction.  This  means 
confederation  under  the  Queen.  Not  long  ago  the  same 
people  were  speaking  openly  of  their  own  flag,  etc.,  etc. 
One  of  them  said  at  that  time  that  this  revival  of  Imperial 
interest,  and  the  introduction  of  the  Territorial  scheme  of 
Government  which  I  proposed,  would  delay  their  obtaining 
a  Republic  for  at  least  fifty  years.  Now  they  seem  to  have 
given  this  idea  up  and  speak  of  confederation  under  the 
Queen.  "  Alles  zal  recht  Komen  " ;  and  the  much-maligned 
Mackenzie  will,  I  humbly  trust,  have  do7ie  somethmg  toivards 
it. 

This  affair  is  full  of  crises.  The  great  one  at  Goshen 
is  coming.  There  was  one  at  Vryburg  when  I  got  there. 
The  preliminary  examination  (in  the  Niekerk  murder  case) 
was  about  to  break  down,  and  Warren  was  going  to  interfere 
in  virtue  of  his  position,  and  override  the  "  Civil  Court." 
This  would  have  raised  a  great  cry — Military  rule  ;  Despotism, 
etc.  On  Monday  morning  we  went  down  to  Vryburg  from 
the  camp,  the  upshot  being  that  Miiller,  the  landrost,  said 
publicly  that  Ludorfs  effort  to  close  the  case  was  "hasty." 
Then  Ludorf  himself  stood  up  and  declared  that  "as  a  man 
of  honour  and  in  the  interests  of  justice  "  he  could  not  close 
the  case.  He  knew  now  what  he  did  not  know  on  Saturday. 
(This  was  false.)  I  had  a  little  to  do  with  the  management 
of  this,  as  I  knew  the  men.  It  was  very  amusing  to  hear  how 
the  thing  went.  Arend  (Honey's  servant)  will  be  examined 
when  the  Court  re-opens.     His  evidence  is  of  the  first 


THE  WARREN  EXPEDITION  383 


importance,  and  will  lead  to  the  bringing  out  of  more.  The 
court  is  composed  of  Niekerk's  own  people,  and  yet  some- 
thing like  justice  may  be  expected,  with  care.  The  case  needs 
"looking  after."  There  is  the  utmost  consternation  in 
Government  House.  In  point  of  fact,  the  court  which 
is  trying  Niekerk  is  one  sanctioned  and  upheld  by  the 
authority  of  the  High  Commissioner  and  his  representatives, 
Bower  and  Rhodes.  Sir  Charles  avails  himself  of  the  court 
and  jurisdiction  which  he  finds  sanctioned  in  Stellaland  and 
uses  it  for  the  trial  of  Niekerk!  The  thing  reads  like  the 
chapter  of  an  exciting  novel. 

What  ought  to  be  done  is,  to  hold  the  country  for  a  while 
as  a  Crown  Colony  before  it  is  handed  over  to  the  Cape 
Colony.  This  would  be  for  the  good  of  the  natives,  for 
whose  sake  so  much  has  been  done,  and  it  would  be  an 
immense  blessing  to  South  Africa  generally,  leading  to  its 
speedy  consolidation.  Everywhere  there  is  a  section  — 
sometimes  small,  but  always  noisy — who  are  not  loyal  to  the 
Queen.  Families  are  sometimes  divided.  What  a  mistake 
to  profess  to  retain  the  country,  and  yet  throw  in  no  weight 
on  the  side  of  the  loyal  Dutch  colonists. 

The  expedition  reached  Mafeking  on  Friday,  March 
iith,  1885.  The  people  were  naturally  over-joyed 
at  the  arrival  of  the  long-expected  deliverer.  The 
Goshen  filibusters  w^ore  an  entirely  different  manner. 
The  loud-voiced  and  more  brazen-faced,  in  fact  the 
guiltier  men,  had  disappeared  ;  and  the  remnant  were 
not  of  the  kind  to  do  aught  but  cringe  before  the 
mighty  power  which  now  confronted  them. 

The  following  extract  from  a  letter  to  one  of  his 
sons  throws  some  more  light  on  these  events  : — 

But  one  thing  Rhodes  was  clear  about.  He  would  not 
go  into  Stellaland  with  Sir  Charles,  if  I  went.  As  he  was 
Deputy  Commissioner,  and  I  was  nothing  particular  then, 
Sir  C.  agreed  to  give  me  work  elsewhere  in  the  Kuruman 
district,  which  I  had  pleasure  in  doing.  Sir  C.  said  to  me, 
"  This  is  the  best  thing  that  could  have  happened  for  you." 
However,  I  will  admit  that  altho'  my  time  was  well  filled 
up  at  Kuruman  with  work,  and  altho'  I  had  a  great  deal 


384  JOHN  MACKENZIE 


to  hear  and  see  from  the  loved  ones  there,  yet  I  was  willing 
enough  to  respond  to  the  call  to  come  away  again  and 
get  into  the  thick  of  this  work  and  warfare,  for  it  is  both 
combined.  Great  events  had  transpired  in  my  absence. 
Sir  Charles  informed  me  that  Niekerk  was  arrested  on  a 
charge  of  complicity  in  murder,  but  that  Captain  Bower 
had  written  to  say  that  that  was  condoned  by  Mackenzie, 
as  I  had  known  all  against  Niekerk,  and  yet  had  appointed 
him  Assistant  Commissioner  !  Warren  said,  "  I  know  this 
is  incorrect,  but  I  want  you  to  come  at  once  and  say  it  is 
not  true."  When  I  got  to  Vryburg  I  found  Rhodes  had 
gone.  There  had  been  a  big  affair,  and  Warren  had  given 
him  a  considerable  piece  of  his  mind,  so  I  was  told  before 
I  got  there. 

Niekerk,  who  is  personally  a  coward — acknowledged  on 
all  hands  to  be  so — was  induced  by  Rhodes  to  cross 
into  Stellaland,  and  actually  presented  himself  before  Sir 
Charles,  and  demanded  an  inquiry  and  examination  into 
charges  which  had  been  preferred  against  him  !  This  was 
an  astounding  step.  The  Cape  Argus  (Rhodes's  paper) 
pointed  out  what  a  fine  step  he  had  taken,  and  mentioned 
my  name  as  having  blackened  Niekerk's  character.  Charges ! 
They  came  in  clouds,  and,  to  crown  all,  there  came  the 
charge  of  complicity  in  the  murder  of  a  man  called  James 
Honey,  who  had  also  been  a  freebooter,  but  had  been  of 
a  better  stamp  than  Niekerk  &  Company.  Sir  Charles 
found  a  court  to  his  hand  constructed  by  Sir  H.  Robinson 
and  Rhodes.  The  question  of  jurisdiction  was  thus  dis- 
posed of  for  him. 

Before  leaving  Vryburg,  wondrous  cablegrams  came  from 
Lord  Derby  recommending  Sir  Charles  to  "  separate  him- 
self from  Mackenzie" — otherwise  the  settlement  would  be 
rendered  more  difficult !  I  said  I  would  clear  out  at  once. 
On  no  account  would  I  stay  on  mere  permission  to  stay, 
after  such  a  cable  as  that.  Sir  C.  wired  straight  to  London, 
not  thro'  Sir  Hercules  (whom  I  blame  for  this),  saying  that 
he  considered  my  presence  necessary — or  some  such  strong 
expression.  He  had  made  up  his  mind  to  threaten  resigna- 
tion in  case  there  had  been  any  uncertainty  in  the  reply. 
The  reply,  however,  gives  him  full  swing  as  to  having  me. 
This  came  straight  from  London.  x\  "  Renter  "  telegram  from 
Cape  Town  informs  us  that  there  had  been  a  question  asked 
in  the  House  on  this  subject.    I  suppose  Derby's  bowing  to 


THE  WARREN  EXPEDITION  385 


Sir  H.  Robinson  and  the  Cape  ministers  had  been  brought 
before  the  English  pubhc.  I  am  certain  they  won't  stand 
it  in  England.  The  reply  of  Ashley  was  cool,  when  you 
come  to  know  that  a  cable  had  been  sent  to  Sir  Charles 
on  the  subject  from  Downing  Street. 

There  is  to  be  no  fighting.  Telegrams  will  have  told 
you  all  about  it.  But  the  freebooters  are  hopeful  that  our 
stay  will  only  be  for  a  time,  and  that  then  they  can  come 
back. 

At  Mafeking  Mackenzie  seems  to  have  found  more 
time  for  letter-writing.  In  addition  to  those  already- 
quoted  two  others  of  special  interest  may  be  referred 
to.  One  was  a  very  long  one  to  his  old  and  most  tried 
friend,  Rev.  G.  D.  Cullen  of  Edinburgh,  to  whom  he 
always  opened  his  heart  with  peculiar  frankness  and 
confidence.  In  this  letter  he  goes  over  a  large  part 
of  the  ground  already  covered  in  these  pages.  It 
was  here  he  heard  of  the  birth  of  his  first  grand- 
daughter, and  his  big  heart  naturally  overflowed  at 
this  event. 

The  following  letter  to  his  little  daughter  (Mary) 
at  Kuruman  is  worth  inserting,  as  it  reveals  the  way 
in  which,  amid  the  pressure  and  distractions  of  heavy 
duties,  he  could  put  himself  in  sympathy  with  the 
interests  even  of  a  child  : 

I  have  been  thinking  a  great  deal  about  you  and  Hettie 
and  Mamma.  Who  was  born  on  the  25th  of  March?  Was 
it  not  Jeanie?  I  was  thinking  about  it  the  day  before 
yesterday,  but  not  for  very  long. 

We  have  despatch-riders  to  the  nearest  telegraph  station, 
which  is  twenty  miles  from  here,  at  a  place  called  Madibe. 
They  come  several  times  in  twenty-four  hours,  and  some 
of  them  usually  arrive  about  twelve  at  night.  I  was  not 
sleeping  very  soundly  last  night.  I  heard  them  arrive  and 
give  in  their  despatches.  Then  they  go  to  their  place  and 
give  their  horses  food,  and  then,  I  suppose,  go  asleep.  A 
gentleman  in  this  camp  a  few  days  ago  sent  a  message  to 
a  gentleman  in  London,  and  an  answer  has  come  back. 
Isn't  that  funny  ?    So  we  could  speak  to  Auntie  Bessie  in 

2  B 


386 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


a  few  hours  if  we  liked  to  do  so ;  only  I  have  nothing  to 
say  to  her  in  such  a  hurry.  Of  course  these  messages  cost 
a  great  deal  of  money.  I  am  sorry  to  say  that  my  nice, 
spirited,  and  yet  comfortable  pony  died  here  of  horse-sickness. 
I  have  not  got  another  horse  yet.  But  very  few  horses  have 
died  as  yet.  They  have  all  nose-bags  on  during  the  whole 
night,  and  they  are  not  allowed  to  eat  grass  till  late  in  the 
morning.  But  they  get  oats  and  other  food.  The  horses, 
however,  are  fond  of  the  nice  grass,  and  I  don't  think  they 
quite  understand  the  secret  of  sleeping  with  their  noses  in 
a  bag  !  and  then  of  standing  so  long  before  being  allowed 
to  go  to  the  grass.  I  daresay  they  don't  think  it  kind,  and 
yet  it  is  kind  all  the  while. 

They  are  having  grand  fun  on  the  top  of  the  rise  here 
to-day.  There  are  horse  races  and  mule  races,  and  I  don't 
know  what  all.  I  am  going  up  after  I  have  quite  finished 
writing. 

It  is  so  nice  to  think  that  dear  Mamma  and  you  and 
Hettie,  besides  those  in  Portobello,  are  always  praying  for 
God's  blessing  and  help  to  be  given  to  me  in  the  work 
which  I  am  trying  to  do.  Things  look  very  discouraging 
sometimes,  when  people  don't  do  what  you  would  like  them 
to  do  ;  but  it  is  very  sweet  to  look  above  all  men  to  God 
Himself,  our  merciful  Father,  and  to  say  to  Him,  "  Thy 
will  be  done."  We  wish  to  do  His  will  here';  but  the  work 
before  us  is  not  an  easy  one,  especially  at  present. 

Now  there  is  a  long  letter  to  your  own  dear,  old-fashioned 
little  self.  And  you  go  on  praying  darling,  and  good  news 
wnll  come  at  last.    How  are  you  getting  on  with  lessons  ? 

Without  putting  off  much  time  Sir  Charles  pushed 
on  towards  Shoshong  where  he  arrived  on  Friday, 
May  8th,  1885.  Needless  to  say,  it  was  one  of  the 
supreme  moments  of  Mackenzie's  life  when  he  per- 
sonally and  officially  accompanied  a  British  Commis- 
sioner to  the  capital  of  Khame's  country.  Once  more 
he  stood  looking  at  the  old  hills  amid  which  so  many 
years  of  his  best  strength  had  been  spent.  Once 
more  he  met  Khame,  who  welcomed  him  with  the 
fervour  of  an  undying  friendship.  As  usual,  the 
negotiations  at   this   place  were   conducted  through 


THE  WARREN  EXPEDITION  387 


Mackenzie,  whose  peculiar  relations  to  both  sides 
enabled  him  to  deal  in  private  with  Khame  as  his 
trusted  friend  and  adviser,  and  at  the  same  time  to 
appear  at  his  court  as  one  of  the  representatives  of 
the  Queen.  The  peculiar  position  in  which  he  stood, 
and  his  work,  are  described  fully  in  "  Austral  Africa," 
but  from  another  and  tenderer  point  of  view  in  the 
following  letter  to  his  wife  : — 

We  arrived  here  on  Friday.  This  is  Tuesday,  yet  this  is 
the  first  scrap  I  have  written  in  English.  I  have  had  a  most 
engrossed  and  most  exciting  time  of  it.  Khame's  pleasure 
at  seeing  me  once  more,  and  at  such  a  crisis  too,  was  evidently 
very  sincere ;  and  on  the  first  interview  he  said  to  me  in 
Sechuana,  "  I  shall  lean  on  you  as  in  the  olden  time ;  stop 
me  if  I  go  wrong."  There  was  no  need  for  this,  however, 
as  he  spoke  well  both  in  public  and  in  private,  and  has  won 
golden  opinions  from  all  our  party.  Even  the  young  officers, 
who  are  a  little  sceptical  about  hero-making,  declare  that  he 
is  a  fine  fellow.  I  have  privately  drawn  up  Khame's  state- 
ment for  him,  and  Lloyd  has  copied  it.  I  daresay  this  will 
be  suspected  by  the  General,  but  I  am  not  telling  him,  lest 
the  knowledge  of  this  should  be  embarrassing.  At  anyrate, 
in  the  meantime  Khame  is  putting  in  a  map  which  will  show 
the  boundary  lines  of  his  country — up  to  the  Zambesi,  and 
which  also  shows  another  inner  line,  which  is  the  country 
claimed  by  the  Chief  for  his  own  use  and  the  use  of  his 
people.  As  to  the  expenses  of  the  Protectorate,  Khame 
invites  the  coming  of  English  settlers  into  the  rest  of  his 
country ;  he  says  that  they  ought  to  be — with  his  own  people 
— the  defenders  of  the  country,  and  that  Khame's  contribu- 
tion to  the  defence  of  the  country  is  the  large  and  most 
valuable  territory  which  he  now  places  in  the  hands  of  the 
Queen.  This  has  all  been  spoken,  and  the  maps  are  now 
being  made.  I  do  not  know  what  answer  Warren  will  give 
to  Khame's  statement  in  writing,  if  he  gives  any.  As  the 
General  and  I  have  the  same  tent  he,  of  course,  has  seen  that 
I  have  been  doing  a  deal  of  writing.  We  are  quite  of  one 
opinion  on  this  as  on  many  other  points. 

I  cannot  tell  you  how  many  enquiries  have  been  made  for 
you,  from  Ma-Bessie  downwards.  "  Mawillie  oa  Rae  ?  "  has 
been  the  question.    Poor  Khame  !    He  declared  to  me  that 


388 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


his  prayer  had  been  answered  in  my  coming.  The  General's 
speech  and  Khame's  were  very  good  ones  this  morning. 
Then  others  spoke,  Gohakgosi,  Raditadi,  etc.  "Their 
country  must  not  be  sold,  and  strong  drink  must  not  come 
into  it.  The  coming  of  good  EngUsh  farmers  would  teach 
them  many  things.  They  were  willing  to  learn,  and  would 
welcome  such  men  into  their  country."  This  was  the  drift 
of  the  speaking. 

We  are  now  with  our  faces  southward,  and  will  probably 
start  to-morrow.  As  soon  as  I  get  within  reach  of  Helio- 
graph I  shall  send  you  a  scrap,  or  I  may  send  you  one  with 
this. 

I  have  ridden  all  the  way.  You  need  have  no  anxiety 
about  me.  I  have  lots  of  bedding  now,  and  indeed  have 
lent  Mr  Baden-Powell  my  plaid. 

Lloyd  preached  in  English  very  nicely — all  were  present. 
I  preached  in  Sechwana — people  crowded  both  sides  of 
church.  If  I  had  not  stuck  to  my  text  I  could  not  have  got 
on.  People  very  affectionate.  The  old  house  is  without 
roof,  its  timbers  having  been  utilized  by  Mr  Hepburn,  which 
was  quite  right.  Lloyd  is  building  beyond  Hepburn's,  as  it 
were  against  the  long  hill  opposite  our  house,  about  opposite 
our  old  church,  of  which  nothing  stands  now.  Indeed,  as 
to  buildings,  nothing  that  I  have  put  up  here  is  now  standing. 
As  to  the  spiritual  structure  we  must  leave  that  to  the  loving 
and  merciful  Master's  eye.  He  knows  how  little  we  have 
done. 

The  maofnificent  offer  which  Khame  made  to  Great 
Britain,  surely  one  of  the  most  striking  events  in  the 
whole  of  British  Colonial  history,  was  treated  with 
great  coolness  in  London,  and  was  ultimately  laid 
aside.  The  Colonial  Office  came  to  the  conclusion 
only  sixteen  years  ago,  on  the  dictum  largely  of  Sir 
Hercules  Robinson,  that  the  British  people  had  no 
interests  beyond  the  Molopo  River. 

From  Shoshong  Sir  Charles  turned  his  face  south- 
wards again.  Mackenzie  left  him  at  Taungs  and  pro- 
ceeded to  Kuruman.  There  he  remained  a  while 
watching  the  news  of  Sir  Charles's  wonderful  progress 
through  the  Colony,  and  ruminating  over  his  own 


THE  WARREN  EXPEDITION  389 


future.  He  was  at  once  deeply  encouraged  and  much 
disappointed  in  the  results  of  the  Warren  expedition. 
The  whole  arrangement  of  the  expedition  by  Sir 
Charles  was  most  brilliant.  It  combined  dignity  with 
great  military  skill  and  superb  political  wisdom. 
Everywhere  the  General  as  well  as  his  officers  and 
men  had  won  golden  opinions,  alike  from  Boer  and 
British,  from  black  and  white.  It  was  an  army  that 
any  government  might  have  been  proud  to  use  for 
the  still  further  winning  of  still  greater  glory.  It  put 
South  Africa  completely  at  the  feet  of  Queen  Victoria. 
If  Sir  Charles  had  been  continued  in  power  as  Special 
Commissioner,  with  a  free  hand  to  build  up  one  or 
two  Crown  colonies  in  the  heart  of  Central  Africa,  we 
can  all  see  now  that  the  miseries  and  disgraces  of 
subsequent  years  would  have  been  prevented.  The 
worst  of  it  is  that  men  like  Sir  Charles  Warren, 
Mackenzie,  and  a  large  number  of  wise  men  in  South 
Africa,  as  well  as  statesmen  of  the  type  of  W.  E. 
Forster  and  Sir  Thomas  Fowell  Buxton  and  many 
others  in  London,  understood  the  facts  and  told  the 
public  the  very  truth  at  the  time,  which  all  the  world  sees 
to-day.  Both  Sir  Charles  Warren  and  Mackenzie  had 
used  their  utmost  endeavours  to  persuade  the  Colonial 
Office  that  the  expedition  ought  not  to  be  withdrawn 
until  a  stable  form  of  government  had  been  established 
throughout  Bechuanaland,  and  an  Imperial  Land 
Commission  had  completed  its  work  in  an  imperial 
spirit. 

Yet  the  Expedition  was  withdrawn,  with  the  cordial 
thanks  of  the  British  Government,  not  at  the  end, 
but  at  the  very  beginning  of  the  real  work,  which  in 
those  days  of  crisis  ought  to  have  been  done  in  South 
Africa. 

Brooding  deeply  over  these  things  under  his  old 
roof  at  Kuruman,  Mackenzie,  not  without  a  struggle 
and  profound  self-sacrifice,  decided  that  for  him  the 


390 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


service  of  South  Africa  and  his  Queen  in  the  world  of 
poHtical  agitation  had  not  been  ended. 

Writing  to  his  sister-in-law,  Miss  Douglas,  he  says  : 

Sir  Charles  Warren's  time  of  power  in  Bechuanaland  is 
over,  and  consequently  so  is  mine.  Much — very  much — 
has  been  accompHshed — so  as  to  surprise  myself  when  I 
think  of  it.  There  is  a  Crown  Colony  after  all.  .  .  .  Now, 
I  am  afraid  that  when  Warren  and  his  expedition  leave  all 
the  English  people's  interest  will  evaporate  also.  So  I  am 
really  seriously  contemplating  coming  over  the  water  to  see 
what  can  be  done  to  keep  the  matter  before  the  pubHc  mind 
in  its  right  light. 

The  expedition  has  done  much.  It  has  pacified  the 
country  and  opened  up  the  interior  as  it  never  was 
before.  The  Crown  Colony  and  the  Land  Commission  have 
been  obtained  after  hard  fighting ;  but  there  they  are ;  even 
if  the  General  and  I  have  to  clear  out — so  much  has  been 
accompHshed.  The  General  has  been  badly  used  by  Sir 
Hercules,  and  has  written  to  Government  to  complain  of 
serious  misrepresentations  in  last  Blue-book.  All  that  is  very 
distressing,  but  I  trust  it  will  have  one  good  result  of  showing 
people  that  the  High  Commissionership  is  incompatible  with 
the  local  politics  of  the  Cape  Colony. 

You  will  be  glad  to  learn  that  Sir  C.  Warren  has  written 
very  kindly  about  me  in  his  despatches,  but  I  suppose  they 
will  be  blocked  in  giving  me  any  employment  while  Robinson 
is  there.  Isn't  that  queer,  and  he  my  great  friend  and 
upholder  last  year  ?  He  has  turned  on  himself.  I  hold  the 
same  views  now  as  then. 

I  have  written  to  Wardlaw  Thompson  and  another  London 
friend  with  reference  to  my  coming  home — especially  in  con- 
nection with  securing  Khame's  country ;  and  I  have  asked 
Thompson  if  after  consulting  they  think  I  should  do  so,  they 
are  to  cable  one  word,  and  I  shall  be  making  all  preparations. 
I  might  do  some  good,  but  would  be  glad  of  their  views,  as 
I  am  out  here  and  they  are  on  the  spot.  Sir  Charles  and 
his  staff  are  anxious  I  should  go.  I  have  put  it  straight  to 
Thompson  that  if  I  go  I  must  not  belong  to  the  class  "  with- 
out any  ostensible  means  of  livelihood,"  and  that  therefore 
they  must  consider  whether  the  kind  of  work  I  am  likely  to 
do  is  work  of  which  they  can  approve,  and  which  they  can 


THE  WARREN  EXPEDITION  391 

co-operate  with  me  in  doing  by  enabling  me  to  keep  the  pot 
boiUng.    I  have  been  paid  by  Sir  Charles. 

The  London  Missionary  Society  wrote  to  inquire 
whether  he  would  be  willing  to  go  and  settle  at  one  of 
their  stations  in  Matabeleland  ;  but  this  he  felt  himself 
forced  at  that  time  to  decline,  so  deep  was  his  convic- 
tion that  unless  the  work  which  he  could  do  in  London 
were  undertaken,  almost  the  entire  fruits  of  his  own  and 
Sir  Charles  Warren's  labours  would  be  destroyed.  He 
felt  the  truth  of  the  words  which  Mr  Theodore  Schreiner 
wrote  to  him  : — 

I  do  trust  the  Home  Government,  now  that  Sir  Charles's 
mission  to  South  Africa  has  once  more  made  it  possible  for 
British  supremacy  to  be  a  fact  in  the  country,  will  not  let  us 
drift  again  into  the  chaotic  longings  after  a  Republic,  that 
were  the  outcome  of  the  indifference  and  blunders  of  England 
with  regard  to  us.  With  these  thoughts  it  is  doubtful  whether 
the  sense  of  loyalty  now  once  more  awakened  would  survive  a 
second  extinction. 

Mackenzie  was  much  cheered  by  the  extraordinary 
enthusiasm  with  which  his  late  General  was  received 
throughout  the  Colony.  Sir  Charles  Warren  went 
from  Kimberley  through  the  Eastern  Provinces  to 
Port  Elizabeth,  and  was  everywhere  met  with  en- 
thusiastic demonstrations.  He  spoke  freely  of  the 
future  relations  of  Great  Britain  to  South  Africa,  and 
his  bold  outlines  of  an  Imperial  policy  were  cheered 
to  the  echo.  He  took  occasion  at  every  oppor- 
tunity to  review  recent  history,  especially  as  far  as 
it  bore  upon  the  reputation  of  his  friend  Mackenzie, 
and  he  found  that  the  public  mind  was  well  informed 
regarding  the  merits  of  the  chief  occurrences  and 
controversies. 

At  Cape  Town,  in  spite  of  efforts  in  high  places  to 
prevent  it,  the  General's  reception  exceeded  anything 
that  had  been  seen  before. 

Mackenzie  received  letters  describing  these  events 


392 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


from  several  of  the  officers  of  the  expedition,  a  number 
of  whom  had  formed  an  attachment  to  him  which  lasted 
till  the  end  of  his  life,  and  which  some  of  them  took 
every  suitable  occasion  to  express.  Sir  Bartle  C. 
Frere,  the  son  of  his  old  friend,  wrote  to  him  from 
Cape  Town  a  letter,  from  which  the  following  extract 
may  be  made  : — 

I  have  just  come  back  from  witnessing  the  Torchlight 
Procession  "  in  honour  of  Sir  Charles,  and  hearing  his  speech 
to  the  populace  thereafter,  during  the  course  of  which  his 
warm  allusions  to  yourself  elicited  six  distinct  and  most  hearty 
rounds  of  applause,  such  as  I  hope  made  your  ears  tingle 
even  at  the  far-off  distance  of  Kuruman.  It  was  very  pleasant 
to  hear.  Nor,  as  you  are  no  doubt  aware,  has  there  been  any 
but  the  warmest  applause  on  any  of  the  recent  occasions  when 
he  has  alluded  to  yourself  and  your  work.  As  my  neighbours 
at  one  of  the  many  recent  banquets  said  to  me,  "  They  may 
say  what  they  like  about  Mackenzie,  but  there's  no  doubt  that 
he  saved  that  country  !  " 

From  Colonel  Terry  came  similar  news  : — 

You  will  have  seen  by  the  papers  the  warm  welcome 
given  to  the  General  along  the  route  to  Cape  Town,  and 
here  it  has — among  the  vast  majority  who  have  joined  in 
it — exceeded  all. 

Your  name  was  enthusiastically  received  in  Port  Elizabeth 
and  here.  You  may  count  on  the  warm  support  of  the 
Eastern  Provinces  and  of  Cape  Town,  and  on  a  special  rally 
due  to  the  mean  attacks  of  which  you  have  been  the  subject. 

Sir  C.  W.  also  gains  something  in  the  minds  of  the  people 
for  having  stuck  to  you. 

On  the  2nd  of  November  Mackenzie  arrived  once 
more  in  Cape  Town.  He  had  left  his  wife  and  two 
daughters  to  keep  house  with  his  medical  son,  who 
had  settled  at  Kimberley  in  private  practice. 

In  his  first  letter  to  his  wife,  he  speaks  of  the  very 
great  kindness  with  which  all  his  friends  had  received 
him.     Several  of  them,  as  soon  as  they  knew  of  his 


THE  WARREN  EXPEDITION  393 


arrival,  arranged  a  private  dinner  in  his  honour,  and 
this  took  place  next  day  at  the  City  Club. 

I  have  just  come  back  from  the  dinner  at  the  City  Club, 
which  a  number  of  gentlemen  invited  me  to.  The  Hon.  R. 
Southey  was  in  the  Chair ;  Hon.  Ebden,  Vice-Chair ;  Lewis, 
M.  L.  A.  Searle,  Wilmore,  St  Leger,  Maclean  of  Donald  Currie 
&  Co.,  Hamilton  Ross,  R.  M.  Ross,  Moore,  Rev.  Sutton 
Fletcher,  Dr  Douglas,  Dr  Ebden,  Arderne,  Beard,  etc.,  over 
20  in  all.  The  thing  was  got  up  in  a  short  time — I  really 
don't  know  by  whom.  But  it  was  very,  very  kind.  Old 
Southey  spoke  so  nicely  and  kindly.  I  made  a  few  remarks, 
again  identifying  myself  with  them,  and  teUing  them  a  little 
of  what  I  hoped  to  do.  They  were  very  kind.  Then  Searle 
made  a  nice  speech,  thanking  St  Leger  for  what  the  Cape 
Times  had  done.  It  was  quite  impromptu,  and  the  meeting 
took  it  very  well.  St  Leger  replied,  and  both  he  and  Searle 
incidentally  said  the  kindest  things  of  me,  St  Leger  declaring 
that  he  would  back  me,  altho'  all  the  newspapers  in  the  world 
went  against  me.  Well,  I  am  pleased  and  thankful ;  only  it 
was  a  wet  night,  and  Mr  Arderne  ran  and  borrowed  Dr 
Kitching's  coat  for  me,  so  I  have  not  caught  cold,  and  you, 
dearest,  can  amuse  yourself  by  wondering  whether  Dr  Kitching 
had  more  than  one  coat,  or  whether  he  needed  this  one  before 
I  was  able  to  return  it. 

This  is  my  last  note  before  leaving — only  I  may  add  a  few 
lines.  The  Governor  has  lost  in  public  opinion  here  very 
much.  Government  House  influence  was  exerted  to  its 
utmost  bent  to  frustrate  the  reception  to  Warren,  but  it 
was  impossible.  Merriman  joined  the  Committee,  but  after- 
wards withdrew,  leaving  the  impression  that  he  had  joined  it 
to  crush  and  minimize  the  whole  thing.  Hofmeyr  is  said 
to  be  returning  with  Upington.  The  Dutch  have  been 
grumbling  at  Hofmeyr's  long  absence,  but  he  will  no  doubt 
pull  them  all  right  when  he  comes  back.  I  have  paid  my 
passage.  I  confess  it  seems  a  lonely  kind  of  proceeding, 
altho'  I  am  going  to  see  my  own  people  on  the  other  side. 
However,  cheer  up,  dearie,  let  us  wait  on  God,  our  Father 
and  Guide.    He  will  guide  and  uphold  us. 

In  another  letter,  he  once  more  asks  his  children  for 
that  on  which  he  ever  most  relied,  viz.,  their  prayers  on 
his  behalf. 


394 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


Pray  for  me,"  he  says,  "that  I  may  be  able  to  do  much 
for  this  country  when  I  go  to  England ;  and  that  God  would 
put  it  into  their  hearts  to  do  the  right  things,  so  that  there 
may  be  peace  and  good  laws  and  right  ways  in  the  country." 

He  reached  London  on  November  25  th,  and  imme- 
diately plunged  into  war  once  more  in  that  great  battle- 
field where  so  many  Imperial  fights  have  been  lost  and 
won.  He  little  knew  when  he  undertook  this  task, 
with  a  clear  perception  of  the  policy  he  would  pursue, 
and  the  definite  steps  in  South  African  development 
which  he  would  secure,  that  he  would  be  involved  in 
this  warfare  well  nigh  five  years,  and  that  during 
this  period  of  his  life  he  would  toil,  as  few  men  have 
ever  toiled,  with  an  unselfishness  and  a  devotion  to 
one  supreme  ideal  which  would  absorb  his  life,  and 
practically  shorten  his  days. 

Before  entering  on  this  chapter,  we  may  close  by 
quoting  a  characteristic  post-card  which  he  received 
from  his  friend,  Mr  W.  T.  Stead,  who  was  then — not 
languishing — in  Holloway  gaol. 

Well,  I  am  in  great  spirits,  thirsting  to  interview  you.  I 
have  made  application  to  have  you  admitted  for  one  half  an 
hour  next  week,  and  we  must  e'en  make  the  best  use  of  our 
time. 

I  am  disgusted  with  Capt.  Bower,  but  I  suppose  all  men 
were  made  for  some  purpose,  and  now  that  you  and  I  are 
together  again  we  must  lend  a  hand  to  save  South  Africa  once 
more. 

I  am  very  happy,  very  busy,  and  watch  with  some  elation 
the  fulfilment  of  my  prophecies. 


CHAPTER  XV 


ENGLAND  "BAFFLED  TO  FIGHT  BETTER" 

(1885-1887) 

Mackenzie  found  the  political  life  of  the  home 
country  in  great  tumult  over  a  general  election. 
The  Irish  Home  Rule  question  occupied  the  atten- 
tion of  statesmen,  journalists,  and  private  citizens, 
almost  to  the  exclusion  of  every  other  interest. 
The  frequent  changes  of  government  caused  at  that 
period  by  the  Gladstonian  policy  did  only  harm 
to  the  work  of  the  Colonial  Office.  Within  a  dozen 
years  there  were  no  less  than  six  different  occu- 
pants of  the  Colonial  Secretaryship.  Colonel  Stanley 
was  in  office  when  Mackenzie  landed  in  England,  but 
was  destined  soon  to  give  place  to  Earl  Granville  ; 
from  1887  Sir  Henry  Holland  (afterwards  Lord 
Knutsford)  held  the  office  until  1892. 

The  following  letter  to  his  eldest  daughter,  written 
the  day  after  his  arrival  in  London,  describes  his  first 
day's  experiences  in  his  old  haunts  : — 

I  reached  London  yesterday  afternoon.  Saw  Thompson  at 
the  Mission  House.  Looked  up  at  Islington  (but  missed)  the 
young  schoolmaster  whom  they  are  sending  to  Kuruman. 
Then  went  to  Waterloo  Station  for  my  luggage,  and  brought 

it  to  the  old  place.    Only  think,  B  out  on  election  work  ! 

People  are  all  daft  here,  and  I  suppose  you  are  even  worse 
in  the  North,  where  the  great  wizard  has  got  you  all  under 
his  spell.  At  anyrate,  everyone  will  have  heard  him  and  seen 
him,  and  will  thus  be  able  to  tell  those  of  a  succeeding 
generation  how  Mr  Gladstone  could  hold  an  audience 
spell-bound. 

To-day  I  went  to  see  Chesson,  and  missed  him.  Missed 

395 


396 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


young  missionary  again  at  Mission  House.  Went  to  Colonial 
Institute  and  found  a  note  of  welcome  from  my  friend  Gates, 
Then  called  for  Sir  Robert  Herbert,  Permanent  Secretary, 
Colonial  Office.  As  it  was  a  chance  call  I  felt  pleased  when 
told  he  was  in.  There  was  considerable  delay,  but  as  one 
after  another  of  the  other  assistant  secretaries  popped  in 
and  sat  down,  I  fancied  Sir  Robert  had  been  letting  them 
know.  Mr  Bramstone  was  the  first,  then  Lord  Dunraven, 
then  Colonel  Stanley's  secretary,  to  say  he  could  not  come, 
as  he  had  an  engagement  for  4,  but  would  I  call  to-morrow 
at  that  hour  ? 

Well,  the  interview  was  to  me  very  gratifying.  Sir  Robert 
said  straight  out  before  the  others,  that  for  his  part,  he  was 
glad,  and  yet  sorry  to  see  me.  He  would  be  much  better 
pleased  to  know  I  was  in  Bechuanaland.  We  got  a  map 
and  went  over  some  business.  I  did  not  make  the  interview 
long.  They  asked  my  address  for  their  book,  and  in  every 
way  gave  me  to  understand  that  I  was  a  welcome  visitor. 

Sir  Robert,  when  alone,  expressed  his  great  regret  at  the 
results  to  myself,  and  added,  "  of  course  we  left  it  in  Sir 
Hercules'  hands."  I  said,  "  Of  course  as  I  resigned,  and  Sir 
H.  approved,  I  quite  looked  for  your  acquiescence."  So  I 
go  to  see  Colonel  Stanley  to-morrow. 

A  little  later  he  wrote  to  his  son  in  x^frica,  saying  : — 

I  am  very  busy,  but  my  work,  if  I  can  do  it,  will  really  be 
worth  accomplishing.  May  it  please  God  to  give  me  the  open 
support  of  good  and  true  people  in  the  Colony.  However, 
such  may  not  be  His  will.  Rejected  people  must  always  do 
their  duty  for  those  w^ho  reject  them. 

Shortly  after  his  arrival  in  London,  news  reached 
him  from  Bechuanaland,  which  confirmed  him  in  the 
conviction  that  there  was  great  danger  of  the  imme- 
diate return  of  disorder  and  disaster  in  that  region. 
This  only  made  him  set  his  teeth,  as  it  were,  to  a 
more  determined  and  a  stronger  fight.  Mr  W.  E. 
Forster,  his  warm  friend  and  supporter  of  his  policy 
in  South  Africa,  lay  on,  what  proved  to  be,  his  death- 
bed. Mackenzie  exchanged  messages  with  him,  but 
the  brave  statesman's  days  of  active  service  were  over. 


"BAFFLED  TO  FIGHT  BETTER"  397 


His  private  secretary,  Mr  Arthur  H.  Loring,  who  was 
deeply  interested  in  South  African  affairs,  took  personal 
pleasure  in  keeping  communications  going  between  the 
sick  man  and  Mackenzie. 

As  Mackenzie,  during  these  early  weeks  of  his  new 
life,  brooded  over  his  programme,  it  became  clear  that 
there  were  three  great  results  to  be  aimed  at  in  regard 
to  the  British  management  of  South  Africa  and  its 
affairs.  In  the  first  place,  the  High  Commissionership 
must  be  separated  from  the  Governorship  of  Cape 
Colony ;  in  the  next  place,  British  authority  and 
government  must  be  effectively  extended  to  the 
Zambesi ;  and  in  the  third  place,  a  reasonable 
system  of  territorial  government  must  be  estab- 
lished over  all  those  regions  that  were  thickly 
populated  by  the  native  tribes,  and  where  yet  there 
was  room  for  European  colonisation. 

Incidentally,  and  as  a  part  of  this  general  pro- 
gramme, Mackenzie  was  determined  to  prevent,  if 
he  could,  the  annexation  of  Bechuanaland  to  Cape 
Colony,  a  step  which  he  knew  was  seriously  con- 
templated by  Cape  politicians,  and  seemed  to  have 
the  approval  of  Sir  Hercules  Robinson.  It  is  hard 
for  us  to  estimate  the  courage,  not  to  say,  audacity, 
with  which  a  private  individual,  without  money  or 
political  position,  set  himself  deliberately  to  achieve 
these  ends.  Mackenzie  himself  once  said,  "  People 
will  think  my  proposal  about  the  Zambesi  a  sign  of 
madness,  but  I  prophesy  that  within  ten  years  the 
thing  will  be  done."  Like  a  half  dozen  other  re- 
markable prophecies  which  he  ventured  on  South 
African  affairs,  this  one  also  was  fulfilled,  only  in 
less  than  half  the  time  he  allowed. 

How  was  this  work  to  be  done  ?  The  first  part  of 
Mackenzie's  programme  of  practical  work  consisted  in 
the  writing  of  a  book.  This  book  took  him  eighteen 
months  of  very  hard  and  continuous  labour  to  com- 


398 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


plete.  He  did  not  enter  upon  the  writing  of  these 
two  volumes  in  a  spirit  of  mere  self-vindication.  The 
fact  that  he  had  been  wronged  could  never  have  been 
for  him  a  reason  for  thrusting  himself  and  his  story 
upon  the  attention  of  the  public.  He  resolved  to 
write  the  history  with  which  he  had  been  concerned, 
because  in  that  crisis  of  the  relations  of  Great  Britain 
to  South  Africa  all  the  main  facts  and  problems  of 
South  African  history  were  set  in  the  clearest  light. 
To  describe  these  years  and  the  experiences  with 
which  they  had  been  filled,  would  enable  him,  histori- 
cally and  pictorially,  to  make  every  reader  face  the 
heart  of  the  difficulty  for  himself.  First  of  all,  he 
would  show  the  life  of  South  African  natives,  and 
depict  their  position  and  prospects  under  British  and 
Boer  predominance  respectively.  He  would  be  able 
to  describe  the  political  condition  of  Cape  Colony,  the 
parties,  the  personalities,  the  strange  medley  of  con- 
fused policies,  of  loyalty  and  disloyalty,  trust  and 
distrust,  towards  Great  Britain  which  made  Cape  Town 
the  spot  on  which  the  alternative  of  Boer  or  British 
supremacy  was  to  be  decided.  He  could  show  how 
the  colonists  felt  towards  the  mother  country  when 
the  Colonial  Office  reduced  them  to  dismay  and  ex- 
asperation. He  would  also  be  able  to  show  the  readi- 
ness of  the  majority  to  arise  in  unbounded  enthusiasm 
when  the  mother  country  seemed  to  have  definitely 
chosen  their  part.  He  would  also  be  able  to  describe 
the  characteristic  attitude  of  the  Transvaal  Boer.  He 
would  show  the  real  grounds  and  reasons  for  the 
hostility  of  that  people  towards  Great  Britain,  for 
their  determination  to  stop  the  spread  of  British 
influence  northwards,  and  even  the  beginning  of  the 
daring  purpose  to  establish  throughout  South  Africa 
a  Dutch  Republic.  Yet  he  could  show  also  a  willing- 
ness of  the  Dutch  to  co-operate  with  the  British,  and 
the  ease  with  which  a  dangerous  cleavage  between  the 


"BAFFLED  TO  FIGHT  BETTER"  399 


races  could  be  not  merely  bridged  for  a  time,  but 
abolished  for  ever.  The  practical  problem  therefore 
which  Mackenzie  wished  to  place  before  the  British 
public  in  his  book,  as  in  all  his  writings  and  speeches, 
was  this  :  "  How  deeply  do  you  wish  to  have  a  South 
African  empire  ?  Are  you  not  now  and  henceforth 
inevitably  responsible  for  the  future  of  that  entire 
region  ?  If  Great  Britain  is  responsible  for  the  future 
of  all  South  Africa,  then  the  Colonial  Office  must 
set  itself  to  plan  seriously  for  the  government  of  the 
whole  ;  and  the  entire  organisation  of  Imperial  affairs 
in  South  Africa  must  be  directed  towards  the  develop- 
ment of  all  the  races  and  territories  from  Cape  Town 
to  the  Zambesi." 

Further,  Mackenzie  saw  with  the  utmost  clearness, 
as  every  one  does,  that  the  end  in  view  must  be  the 
confederation  of  all  the  parts  in  one  dominion.  That, 
he  held,  ought  to  be  not  merely  foreseen,  still  less 
ought  it  to  be  hurried  on,  but  alike  with  patience 
and  with  breadth  of  vision  it  ought  to  be  carefully 
prepared  for.  Hence  no  one  existing  South  African 
colony  or  state  should  be  enlarged  at  the  expense 
of  the  rest,  nor  should  it  be  placed  in  a  position  of 
permanent  political  superiority.  He  was  able  to 
point  to  the  difficulty  caused  by  the  ambition  of  the 
Premier  Colony  in  Australia,  which  for  so  long 
hindered  confederation  on  that  continent. 

In  Mackenzie's  view  there  were  two  main  pre- 
cautions which  the  Home  Government  needed  to 
take  at  once  if  it  would  at  the  same  time  assert  its 
supremacy  and  make  its  assertion  effective. 

In  the  first  place,  the  High  Commissionership 
should  be  an  office  like  that  of  the  Viceroy  of  India 
or  Governor-General  of  Canada.  It  should  be 
separated  from  the  governorship  of  any  one  colony. 
This  separation  was  advocated,  not  for  the  merely 
negative  purpose  of  preventing  complications  at  Cape 


400 


JOHxN  MACKENZIE 


Town  but  for  the  far  greater  positive  reasons  which 
he  was  able  to  urge.  For  in  the  day  when  Great 
Britain  appointed  a  High  Commissioner  for  South 
Africa,  gave  him  a  residence  and  surrounded  him 
with  a  court  away  from  Cape  Town,  her  moral 
influence  and  political  effectiveness  over  all  South 
African  races  would  be  multiplied  indefinitely. 

But,  further,  Mackenzie  saw,  as  he  had  for  so  many 
years,  that  the  next  step  must  be  the  occupation  of 
all  native  territories  by  Imperial  officers,  who  should 
be  under  the  direct  supervision  of  the  High  Com- 
missioner himself.  Steadily  and  quietly  these  vast 
regions  would  be  opened  up  to  European  farmers, 
miners,  and  store-keepers,  while  the  native  tribes  them- 
selves were  being  wisely  led  out  from  their  primitive 
habits  of  life  into  those  of  a  Christian  civilisation. 

In  this  manner  the  two  Dutch  States,  the  Orange 
Free  State  and  the  Transvaal,  would  become  sur- 
rounded with  new  countries,  and  would  find  themselves 
drawn  gradually  but  irresistibly  into  the  life  of  a 
confederated  South  Africa. 

All  this  was  mapped  out  in  Mackenzie's  mind  in 
the  year  1885.  Indeed,  the  main  principles  had  been 
grasped  by  his  mind  nearly  twenty  years  before  that. 
Surely  this  was  the  project  of  a  true  empire  builder  ! 
He,  however,  now  showed  himself  determined  to  be 
no  mere  dreamer  but  a  practical  labourer  in  this  great 
undertaking.  We  can  all  now  see  how  great  was  the 
outline  of  South  African  imperialism  which  he  pro- 
mulgated, and  how  wise  were  the  doctrines  on  which 
it  was  founded. 

It  is  our  task,  in  this  life  story  of  Mackenzie,  to 
discover  the  methods  by  which  he  sought  to  put  his 
scheme  before  the  British  mind,  and,  we  shall  also  be 
compelled  to  see  by  what  classes  and  individuals  the 
scheme  was  approved  and  aided,  and  by  whom  it  was 
opposed  and  defeated. 


BAFFLED  TO  FIGHT  BETTER"  401 


In  his  work  he  was  most  powerfully  assisted  by  the 
South  African  Committee,  whose  secretaries,  Mr  H.  O. 
Arnold  Foster  and  Mr  Arthur  H.  Loring  worked  with 
him  most  strenuously  and  loyally.  The  Committee 
included  such  names  as  Mr  W.  M.  Acworth  of  the 
Imperial  Federation  League,  the  Hon.  Evelyn  Ashley, 
Mr  H.  A.  Bryden,  Sir  T.  Fowell  Buxton,  Mr  Sidney 
C.  Buxton,  the  Earl  of  Camperdown,  Mr  Joseph 
Chamberlain,  Sir  William  Dunn,  Earl  (later  the  Duke) 
of  Fife,  Sir  Robert  Fowler,  the  late  Earl  Grey  and  Mr 
Albert  Grey  (the  present  Earl  Grey),  Mr  Morgan 
Harvey,  and  others.  This  Committee  held  frequent 
meetings  and  issued  circulars,  planned  careful  action 
in  the  House  of  Commons,  arranged  for  public  meet- 
ings, and  in  every  way  sought  to  promote  the  ends 
which  Mackenzie  had  in  view,  and  of  which  they  as 
a  whole  most  heartily  approved. 

Mackenzie  went  down  to  Scotland  that  Christmas 
season  (1885)  and  remained  there  until  February.  His 
correspondence  grew  day  by  day.  Wherever  he 
went  prominent  men  of  both  political  parties  found 
him  out,  or  were  sought  out  by  him,  for  the  discussion 
and  promotion  of  his  South  African  policy.  Every 
man  with  an  African  project  of  any  kind,  commercial, 
religious,  or  political,  seemed  to  think  it  necessary  that 
he  should  consult  Mackenzie.  It  would  be  tedious  to 
enumerate  the  purposes  for  which  individuals  of  all 
sorts  sought  him  out  in  person  or  by  letter  during 
the  next  few  years,  for  consultation  on  African  affairs. 
Willing  ever  to  serve  in  a  good  cause,  or  to  prevent 
mistakes,  he  found  himself  in  this  way  involved  in 
correspondence,  and  even  in  the  labour  of  investiga- 
tions, which  did  not  bear  upon  his  own  work. 

On  January  iith,  1886,  he  spoke  at  a  meeting  of 
the  Scottish  Geographical  Society,  at  which  Mr  Joseph 
Thompson  read  a  paper  on  "  East  Central  Africa  and 
its  Commercial  Outlook."     He  also  was  consulted  by 

2  c 


402  JOHN  MACKENZIE 

the  founders  of  the  British  East  African  Company  in 
Edinburgh  and  Glasgow.  In  the  end  of  February 
he  was  back  again  in  London,  preparing  to  read  a 
paper  on  Bechuanaland  before  the  Society  of  Arts, 
for  which  he  received  the  Society's  silver  medal.  He 
also  attended  and  spoke  at  a  meeting  of  the  Anthro- 
pological  Institute,  where  Captain  C.  R.  Conder 
R.  E.,  read  a  paper  on  "  The  Present  Condition  of 
the  Bechuanaland,  Koranna  and  Matabele  Tribes." 
Captain  Conder  wrote  to  him,  expressing  his  gladness 
that  "  we  had  such  a  nice  little  poHtical  breeze." 

Mackenzie  had  in  January  contributed  two  long 
and  important  letters  to  The  Times  (January  ist 
and  2  0th,  1886),  which  attracted  wide  attention,  and 
in  which  he  laid  down  the  fundamental  principles  of 
his  plan  of  campaign.  In  an  interesting  letter  to  a 
South  African  editor  he  refers  to  these  communications 
as  follows  : — 

I  shall  be  glad  if  you  can  give  the  whole  or  part  of  those 
letters  171  your  Dutch  columns.  I  only  want  to  be  under- 
stood. I  have  no  fear  of  the  results  where  I  can  be  heard 
and  my  views  considered.  If  my  views  or  my  policy  were 
inimical  to  the  Cape  Colony  the  thing  would  be  different; 
but  the  fact  is,  I  was  alive  to  the  interests  of  the  Cape 
Colony,  as  to  the  North,  long  before  its  own  political 
leaders  dreamt  of  the  subject. 

But  there  must  be  no  hurried  annexation  and  no  hurried 
confederation,  which  I  fancy  some  foolish  people  would 
wish  to  make  a  rush  at.  Let  the  Imperial  Government 
administer  Bechuanaland  for  some  years,  north  as  well  as 
south  Bechuanaland,  and  then  let  it  be  considered  whether 
it  may  not  be  safely  joined  to  the  Cape  Colony,  or  what 
should  be  done. 

On  February  ist  he  sent  to  Mr  Stead  a  long  letter 
which  contained  the  following  paragraphs  : — 

Mr  Froude's  remarks  in  his  new  book  {Oceana)  demand 
special  notice.    I  don't  think  they  will  have  so  much  weight 


BAFFLED  TO  FIGHT  BETTER"  403 


as  they  would  have  had  before  the  recent  education  of  people 
concerning  South  Africa. 

Mr  Froude  writes  very  much  (I  have  only  seen  extracts) 
as  he  talked  to  me  when  I  had  the  pleasure  of  seeing  him 
some  time  ago. 

I  then  formed  the  opinion  that  Froude  was  simply  "  down- 
right angry  "  with  the  English  in  South  Africa,  as  he  blamed 
them  for  his  failure  when  he  went  out  there  on  a  special 
mission. 

Mr  Froude  then  (privately,  of  course)  admitted  to  me 
that  the  policy  I  have  been  advocating  would  no  doubt  be 
the  best,  but  England  wouldn't  do  it,  and  wouldn't  stick  to 
it,  and  what  would  be  the  use  of  trying  ?  Well,  you  know 
a  good  deal  about  what  happened  after  that.  We  have  now 
in  our  hands,  and  in  our  volition  (what  we  had  not  then) 
the  right  to  the  territory  of  the  interior,  and  the  right  to 
manage  immigration  into  it,  and  the  protection  of  its  native 
inhabitants.  You  know  how  these  things  have  been  obtained, 
and  what  honour  is  conferred  on  England  by  the  trust  re- 
posed in  her  by  such  chiefs  as  Khame.  There  can  be  no 
question  as  to  our  success  on  the  lines  I  am  advocating,  and 
which  hitherto  you  have  assisted  me  so  much  to  carry. 
The  Crown  Colony  of  Bechuanaland,  with  the  Protectorate 
to  the  North,  are  great  facts.  Let  us  turn  aside  neither  to 
the  right  hand  nor  the  left,  but  make  our  administration  in 
Bechuanaland  a  wise  and  real  one ;  let  us  admit  emigrants 
to  Khame's  country,  and  Austral  Africa  will  be  by-and-by 
one  of  our  most  "  creditable "  colonies.  Remember  they 
are  all  Protestants. 

The  following  letter  to  Dr  G.  B.  Clarke,  M.P.,  has 
a  note  of  personal  interest  : — • 

19///  Feb.  1886. 

Dear  Dr  Clark, — I  thank  you  for  your  remarks  on  the 
Zulu  question  last  night. 

I  trust  we  are  within  sight  of  a  comprehensive  and  settled 
scheme  of  South  African  policy.  I  am  just  about  to  publish 
on  the  question,  and  hope  to  give  some  information  on  it. 

What  really  blocks  the  way  is  the  want  of  an  Imperial 
Head  in  South  Africa.  And  Sir  Hercules  Robinson  is  dead 
against  a  disturbance  of  the  present  arrangement.  His 


404 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


arguments  do  not  hold  water,  and  will  be  got  over,  no 
doubt,  but  they  have  weight  for  a  time,  as  coming  from 
an  official  in  high  position,  whereas  it  is  really  the  case  that 
he  is  practically  defending  himself  as  having  administered 
the  joint  offices  in  question.  When  we  turn  our  faces  and 
not  our  backs  to  South  Africa  there  will  be  no  difficulty  of 
a  serious  nature.  General  Gordon  said  there  was  no 
difficulty. 

We  have  differed,  and  you  wrote  against  me,  as  I  thought 
at  the  time,  unfairly,  when  I  was  out  in  Bechuanaland,  but 
none  the  less  I  have  much  pleasure  in  seeing  your  remarks 
made  last  night. — Believe  me,  ever  yours  sincerely, 

John  Mackenzie. 

To  Miss  Douglas,  April  1 2th,  he  writes  : — 

Dear  Sister  Bessie, — Seeing  that  Dr  Dale  was  to  speak 
at  Newman  Hall's  Church  I  went  there  yesterday  morning. 
The  good  pew-opener  must  needs  honour  me  with  a  seat 
well  to  the  front.  Dale  spotted  me  after  the  service,  and 
took  me  off  with  him  to  where  he  was  staying  with  some 
friends.  We  had  a  long  and  very  interesting  talk.  He 
spoke  about  my  letters  and  what  he  had  done  with  them, 
and  told  me  of  Mr  Chamberlain's  "  soundness "  on  the 
subject  to  the  last.  Dr  Dale  would  like  a  Royal  Commission 
rather  than  a  Committee,  and  especially  objects  to  Mr 
Gorst ;  says  he  has  not  much  influence,  and  that  he  is  very 
partisan.  He  declares  that  Chamberlain  is  the  man  to  take 
charge  of  it. 

It  was  as  if  Dale  and  I  had  only  parted  the  day  before, 
he  was  so  kind  and  really  interested. 

I  had  a  long  chat  with  Stead  afterwards.  He  would  like 
a  Royal  Commission  rather  than  a  Committee — like  Dale  in 
that.  He  jotted  down  the  subject.  He  will  really  help  in 
his  own  way.  He  is  a  capital  fellow,  and  could  not  be  more 
friendly  to  me. 

This  afternoon  I  went  down  to  the  House  by  appointment, 
to  meet  Sir  Donald  Currie.  I  wish  I  could  transcribe  our 
talk;  I  shall  not  try  to-night.  By  the  way  we  were  inter- 
rupted— by  whom  ?  Dr  Clark  !  I  thought  he  would  pass, 
but  no,  he  came  up  with  a  smiling  face  and  we  shook  hands, 
and  as  in  duty  bound  I  said,  "  I  suppose  I  ought  to  con- 
gratulate you  on  your  M.P.-ship."  I  think  he  understood 
exactly  what  I  meant.    He  was  very  anxious  that  I  should 


"BAFFLED  TO  FIGHT  BETTER"  405 


see  him  again.  I  don't  suppose  he  is  beyond  conversion,  even 
after  his  low  and  lost  condition  on  this  subject.  But  I  have 
no  time  at  present. 

The  drift  of  Sir  Donald  Currie's  story  was  impatience  with 
everybody  whatever,  and  especially  with  Chesson's  people ; 
and  a  full  statement  of  what  he  himself  privately  with  his 
personal  influence  had  done  for  South  Africa.  ...  At 
present  I  have  the  impression  that  he  wants  to  unite  all  the 
Dutch  States  with  the  Colony  straight  off,  and  that  he  thinks 
he  could  carry  that.  I  did  not  ask  him  too  much,  but  let 
him  talk. 

It  would  be  a  very  serious  thing  for  South  Africa  if  such 
a  union  took  place  at  once.  It  is  what  we  all  desire  and 
hope  for  in  the  future.  It  would  be  a  bad  job  for  the 
natives,  with  a  responsible  Government  and  the  Queen  at  its 
head,  and  the  majority  mostly  ignorant  Dutchmen,  swamping 
the  Englishmen  till  their  voice  would  not  be  heard,  or  at 
least  their  votes  would  count  for  nothing. 

At  this  time  it  was  proposed  that  the  Government 
should  be  persuaded  to  appoint  a  Commission  or 
Committee,  composed  of  men  of  different  political 
sympathies,  who  should  enquire  into  the  whole  South 
African  question  and  report  to  the  House  of  Commons. 
Mackenzie's  correspondence  shows  that  this  proposal 
was  backed  up  with  great  earnestness  by  such  men 
as  Mr  Chamberlain  and  Sir  John  Gorst  within  the 
House,  as  well  as  by  Dr  Dale,  Mr  Stead,  Mr  Chesson, 
and  many  others  of  the  general  public.  At  one 
time  there  seemed  a  good  prospect  of  obtaining 
this  Commission,  but  the  change  of  government  which 
occurred  that  summer  put  a  new  face  on  everything, 
and  this  hopeful  plan  collapsed. 

In  the  middle  of  June,  Mackenzie,  for  the  first 
time,  went  down  to  visit  his  friend,  the  late  Mr 
John  Kirby,  a  retired  sea  captain,  who  lived  at 
Woolstone,  near  Southampton.  Mr  Kirby,  who  had 
ultimately  two  sons  in  Africa,  was  a  most  earnest 
adherent  and  supporter  of  Mackenzie's  cause.  For 
Mackenzie  himself  he  formed  a  singularly  deep  afifec- 


4o6 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


tion,  and  insisted  on  contributing  personal  work,  as 
well  as  mone}^  to  meet  some  part  of  the  many  ex- 
penses which  Mackenzie  incurred  in  the  course  of  his 
prolonged  agitation.  At  ]\Ir  Kirby's  Mackenzie 
found  himself  within  easy  reach  of  London,  and  yet 
in  surroundings  which  enabled  him  to  concentrate 
his  mind  upon  the  task  of  writing  his  book. 

The  following  is  an  extract  from  a  letter  written  to 
his  son  in  Kimberley,  April  7th  1886  :  — 

Sir  John  Gorst  has  felt  moved  to  take  up  the  South 
African  question.  He  asked  me  to  come  and  have  a  talk 
on  the  subject,  and  I  did  so.  He  is  to  ask  for  a  Committee. 
He  put  down  a  few  names  of  those  who  would  be  examined. 
Sir  H.  Robinson,  Warren,  myself,  Baden-Powell,  Ralph 
Williams  (whom  he  knows),  missionaries  at  home,  etc. 

I  am  to  see  Baden-Powell  to-day. 

Those  were  true  words  that  Gladstone  used  of  Forster. 
He  was  a  noble  man.  I  had  quite  the  idea  that  he  was 
getting  rapidly  better,  till  Saturday  when  I  called.  Mr 
Loring  was  out.  The  man-servant,  who  knew  me,  said  Mr 
Forster  was  very  unwell,  and  two  doctors  were  there  with 
him.  That  would  be  his  seizure  from  which  he  never  rallied 
again.  So  rests  a  brave  and  strong  spirit  after  life's  battle 
has  been  well  fought.  I  shall  write  for  a  ticket  for  the 
service  in  Westminster  Abbey. 

The  following  extracts  are  from  letters  written  at 
this  time  chiefly  to  his  wife  : 

II  Queen  Square,  London, 
Wi  Apfil  1886. 

This  is  the  evening  on  which  Mr  Gladstone  is  to  unfold 
his  Irish  Bill.  Mr  Forster  lies  cold  in  his  house  in  Eccle- 
stone  Square.  The  service  in  the  Abbey  will  take  place 
at  1 2  to-morrow.    I  have  got  a  dcket  from  Mr  Loring. 

I  had  an  interview  with  Mr  Townsend  of  the  Spectator. 
You  know  they  took  up  the  High  Commissioner  idea  after 
having  first  objected  to  it.  Had  a  long  talk.  Sent  him 
copy  of  my  paper  m  Journal  of  Society  of  Arts. 

My  great  object  is  to  avoid  personalities,  and  to  supplement 
the  work  for  South  Africa  which  I  was  permitted  to  do  here 


"BAFFLED  TO  FIGHT  BETTER"  40; 


some  years  ago.  The  time  seems  long,  darling,  for  the  work 
is  a  difficult  one  to  write,  and  there  are  these  other  very 
important  matters  cropping  up  which  need  to  be  attended 
to. 

II  Queen  Square,  London, 
22nd  April  1 886. 

I  dined  with  Guy  Dawnay  and  his  brother.  Col.  Methuen, 
and  Mr  Wodehouse  a  few  evenings  ago.  Mr  Wodehouse  is 
son  of  late  Sir  Philip,  and  takes  great  interest  in  Cape  affairs. 
We  had  a  pleasant  evening.  That  is  a  circle  into  which 
Chesson's  influence  does  not  extend.  Indeed  they  don't 
approve  of  him  at  all,  and  I  have  to  stick  up  for  him. 

II  Queen  Square,  London, 
27//^  May  1886. 

If  I  succeed  in  attracting  greater  attention  to  the  country 
and  get  the  Protectorate  established  up  to  the  Zambesi,  and 
the  Crown  Colony  placed  on  a  healthier  basis  separate  from 
the  Colony  in  the  meantime,  and  if  no  offer  comes  to  me  of 
work  in  connection  with  that,  then  I  shall  be  more  than 
content  to  resume  my  direct  work  in  the  Gospel  of  Christ. 
But  to  leave  this  matter  as  it  is  now  is  not  my  duty. 

Woolstone,  Southampton, 
'2.2,rd  June  1886. 

I  have  been  here  about  a  week.  Mr  Kirby  is  a  retired 
sea  captain,  and  in  comfortable  circumstances.  He  has  a 
son  in  South  Africa,  in  Swaziland.  Another  in  America. 
His  daughter,  when  a  little  girl,  fell  from  an  old  Abbey  wall 
near  this  place,  and  was  killed  on  the  spot ;  and  the  mother 
was  seized  with  a  stroke  of  paralysis  in  consequence,  from 
which  she  never  recovered.  He  has  just  the  two  grown-up 
sons,  and  they  are  both  abroad.  I  knew  him  a  little  before 
I  went  out  last  time.  He  is  very  kind,  and  I  have  greater 
facility  for  writing  here  undisturbed  than  in  London.  I 
don't  want  to  go  down  to  Scotland  now  if  I  can  help  it — till 
I  have  settled  as  to  the  publication  of  the  book.  The 
enclosed  letter  will  show  that  I  have  made  a  beginning. 

A  friend  of  mine  wrote  to  me — of  course  rather  a  sanguine 
one,  and  not  Warren  or  CuUen — asking  me  if  I  would  not  go 
into  Parliament,  and  saying  that  there  was  a  way  by  which 


4o8 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


the  half  of  the  expense  would  be  paid.  Mr  Kirby  at  once 
said  if  I  would,  he  would  pay  the  other  half.  But  my  head 
is  on  my  shoulders  all  right,  dearie,  and  I  have  got  to  write 
this  book  and  see  this  African  business  set  right,  if  it  be 
God's  will.  And  as  to  money  for  myself  and  for  those 
depending  on  me — what  He  giveth  I  will  gather.  It  is  now 
late.  Good-night. 

WooLSTONE,  Southampton, 
July  I,  1886. 

You  don't  imagine  the  work  that  is  before  me  here.  I 
only  see  it  in  its  fulness  at  times.  It  is  a  great  work,  and 
one  which  will  remain.  It  has  no  reference — no  necessary 
reference — to  myself,  or  my  own  employment  in  after  years. 
That  I  leave  in  God's  hands.  I  am  Jesus  Christ's  man- 
servant.   He  will  not  leave  me  without  guidance. 

London, 9,  1886. 
That  answer  to  Sir  Hercules  Robinson  on  the  High 
Commissionership  comes  to  be  a  big  thing,  reaching  to 
eighteen  pages  of  foolscap.  I  have  written  it  three  times, 
and  am  just  about  to  send  it  in.  Warren  and  Baden-Powell 
have  seen  it,  and  speak  highly  of  it.  So  does  Chesson,  who 
read  it  carefully  over  one  afternoon.  I  may  work  it  into  an 
article  in  the  Contemporary^  or  perhaps  reserve  it  for  the 
concluding  part  of  the  book. 

In  early  autumn  Mackenzie  accepted  appointment 
for  deputation  v^ork  on  behalf  of  the  London  Mission- 
ary Society,  and  was  able  also  to  spend  some  time 
v/ith  his  eldest  daughter  on  a  visit  to  his  friend,  Mr 
Charles  G.  Gates  of  Meanwoodside,  for  the  purpose  of 
attending  the  Leeds  Festival  of  Music. 

The  following  extracts  from  letters  to  his  wife  throw 
some  light  upon  his  work  during  this  period  : 

Oakland,  Oct.  7,  1886. 
The  Bradford  people  asked  me  to  go  back  and  dine  on 
their  market  day  at  the  Liberal  Club,  and  meet  a  number  of 
people.     I  did  so,  and  was  considerably  encouraged.  Public 
opinion  is  not  where  it  was  in  1883.    The  Radicals  are  now 


"BAFFLED  TO  FIGHT  BETTER"  409 


determined  to  have  a  Colonial  policy.  Some  of  the  old 
people  remain  on  the  old  lines.  I  was  planted  alongside  one 
of  these  at  dinner,  and  he  went  to  business  at  once  by  asking, 
Did  I  think  the  English  Government  should  protect  every 
Englishman  who  went  beyond  our  borders,  for  his  own 
profit  ?  I  told  him  I  had  acted  out  my  views  on  that  point 
by  refusing  to  ask  for  assistance  when  shut  up  in  Kuruman. 
But  that  was  not  the  question.  Was  Africa  to  grow  by 
peaceful  and  orderly  means,  or  by  filibustering  ?  The  alder- 
man became  much  more  reasonable  and  friendly,  but  con- 
versions in  cases  such  as  his  are  hardly  to  be  looked  for. 

1 1  Queen  Square,  London, 
25^/2  Nov.  1886. 

Loring  has  asked  me  if  I  won't  undertake  to  lecture  for 
the  Imperial  Federation  League  (paid  of  course).  I  said  in 
reply  the  "  burden "  on  me  was  that  of  South  Africa.  My 
first  work  was  the  book.  I  hoped  to  see  South  African 
affairs  on  a  better  footing. 

1 1  Queen  Square,  London, 
2nd  Dec.  1886. 

When  I  have  anything  definite  about  publishing  I  shall  let 
you  know.  Do  not  be  anxious  on  that  score.  It  is  one  of 
the  things  which  have  been  rolled  away  from  my  path,  as 
more  than  one  friend  has  come  forward  to  say.  they  will  bear 
the  risk  of  publishing  the  book,  in  case  its  subject  should  be 
so  far  forgotten  as  to  be  regarded  as  riskful  by  the  publishers. 
I  am  nearly  done  with  the  writing  now.  But  the  appearance 
of  a  long  answer  from  Sir  Hercules  Robinson  to  my  High 
Commissionership  memo,  compels  further  writing  and  atten- 
tion to  that  part. 

I  am  glad  to  have  written  so  copiously.  I  hope  to  turn  it 
to  good  account. 

II  Queen  Square,  London, 
i^rd  Dec.  1886. 

I  had  no  idea  it  would  take  so  long,  altho',  of  course,  I  did 
not  really  know.  I  think  we  may  say,  "  All  is  well,"  at  the 
end  of  the  year.  We  have  health  ;  the  children  are  well  and 
doing  well.  I  do  sincerely  humble  myself  for  the  poor  kind 
of  life  one  lives  when  engrossed  as  I  have  been.    I  have 


4IO 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


been  like  a  watch  which  needs  winding,  and  then  goes 
straight  on.  The  night's  rest,  the  meals,  daily  work,  and  the 
book — with  some  necessary  attention  to  passing  events, 
especially  if  they  relate  to  South  Africa. 

I  always  think  your  time  has  been  harder  than  mine. 
Here  in  London  I  do  feel  lonely.  I  tire  of  it  very  much,  but 
there  is  nothing  for  it  but  to  go  on. 

The  new  year  was  brought  in,  as  usual,  at  Portobello, 
and  the  first  half  of  1887  was  again  almost  completely 
devoted  to  the  finishing  of  his  book,  on  which  he  had 
been  at  work  since  his  arrival  in  England  from  the 
Cape. 

But  Mackenzie  found  time  to  carry  on  correspon- 
dence with  many  people,  and  his  education  of  the 
Colonial  Office.  Early  in  the  year  he  sent  to  the 
Colonial  Secretary,  Sir  Henry  Holland  (afterwards 
Lord  Knutsford),  a  communication  which  led  the 
latter  to  say  that  he  was  "  not  prepared  to  recom- 
mend the  assumption  by  this  country  of  the  great 
amount  of  interference  in  and  direct  responsibility  for 
the  details  of  extra  Colonial  affairs  in  South  Africa 
which  your  letters  appear  to  advocate."  This  led 
Mackenzie  to  send  in  the  following  strongly  worded 
protest  : — 

Portobello,  Scotland, 
t^th  April  1887. 

Dear  Sir  Henry, — I  was  sorry  to  receive  your  official  reply 
to  my  letter,  and  after  some  days  consideration  I  have 
thought  it  my  duty  to  lay  the  following  considerations  before 
you  privately. 

I  wish  to  state  to  you  the  opinion,  which  is  based  on 
considerable  knowledge,  that  the  position  taken  up  in  your 
letter  will  be  condemned  by  the  conscience  and  sense  of 
duty  of  the  English  public,  who  engaged  in  the  Bechuanaland 
Protectorate  and  insisted  on  supporting  it  by  the  Bechuana- 
land Expedition.  In  the  estimation  of  the  English  public 
the  "  direct  responsibility  "  from  which  you  shrink,  is  already 
devolved  on  you  by  the  extension  of  the  Protectorate  in  1885. 
You  will  allow  me  to  say  that  I  do  not  think  you  give  full 


"BAFFLED  TO  FIGHT  BETTER"  411 


weight  to  that  very  important  action  taken  by  the  Liberal 
Government,  especially  when  coupled  with  the  statement 
made  by  Lord  Derby  to  the  effect  that  a  Protectorate  really 
amounted  to  annexation  (I  am  quoting  this  from  memory, 
but  have  no  doubt  of  its  correctness).  These  responsibilities 
devolve  upon  you  now,  and  I  do  not  desire  to  impose  on  Her 
Majesty's  Government  fresh  obligations,  but  ask  you  to  face 
and  to  discharge  those  already  incurred. 

I  hold  firmly  that  it  is  of  the  very  essence  of  an  economical 
administration  in  South  Africa  that  there  should  be  the  early 
assumption  of  authority  and  control  of  the  land  settlement  in 
native  territories.  Without  this  you  must  expend  English 
money  in  putting  down  abuses  which  my  plan  would  enable 
you  to  prevent. 

The  Imperial  Government  occupies  a  certain  position  in 
South  Africa,  and  has  assumed  certain  responsibilities.  I 
have  suggested  a  method  by  which  these  responsibilities 
might  be  discharged  in  a  way  satisfactory  to  both  Colonists 
and  natives,  while  it  is  economical  as  to  Imperial  expenditure, 
and  meets  that  conscientious  sense  of  duty  which  the  English 
public  has  strongly  expressed  on  the  subject.  Now  the  plans 
which  I  propose  may  or  may  not  be  wise,  but  the  shrinking 
from  responsibility  has  been  the  great  cause  of  our  trouble  in 
South  Africa,  of  our  low  position  in  the  eyes  of  Colonists, 
and  of  our  expenditures  of  Imperial  money.  England  is 
already  responsible  in  such  countries  as  those  to  which  I 
have  referred,  and  the  attitude  of  blinking  this  responsibility 
I  humbly  but  earnestly  submit  is  unwise  and  expensive. 

I  was  grieved  to  find  the  word  "  interference  "  used  in  your 
letter  with  reference  to  proposed  Imperial  administration  of 
extra  Colonial  affairs.  It  is  at  least  an  unhappy  expression 
to  term  the  performance  of  such  a  duty  "  interference,"  when 
native  Chiefs  and  people  beg  the  Imperial  Government  as 
the  Supreme  Power  to  assist  them  in  the  administration  of 
their  country,  and  when  loyal  and  intelligent  Colonists 
earnestly  ask  that  this  course  be  adopted.  Please  to  re- 
member that  the  alternative  to  this  "interference,"  namely, 
"letting  alone,"  has  landed  us  again  and  again  in  heavy 
Imperial  expenditure. 

In  my  opinion  our  success  in  South  Africa  depends  upon 
the  discharge,  for  some  time,  by  the  Imperial  Government,  of 
those  very  duties  in  native  territories  which  appear  to  you  at 
present  to  deserve  the  name  of  "interference."    May  I  take 


412 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


the  liberty  to  ask  you  to  reconsider  the  last  sentence  of  your 
letter  and  thus  avoid,  in  so  many  words,  abjuring  those  very 
duties  and  responsibilities  which  the  English  public  certainly 
desire  Her  Majesty's  Government  to  perform  in  South  Africa, 
and  which  were  so  fully  acknowledged,  upheld,  and  developed 
by  Her  Majesty's  Liberal  Government  in  1885. 

I  make  this  communication  in  all  friendliness  and  in  strict 
confidence.  The  public  verdict  upon  the  question  at  issue 
will  not  be  difficult  to  understand  when  it  is  given,  and  I 
hope  in  a  few  weeks  to  publish  a  work  on  the  question  of 
our  policy  in  South  Africa. 

In  x^pril  of  this  year  (1887),  he  found  himself 
within  sight  of  the  end,  and  went  down  to  Montrose, 
the  home  of  his  eldest  son,  to  complete  his  work 
there.  He  was  thus  removed  from  the  distraction  of 
daily  correspondence,  daily  calls,  summonses  to  meet- 
ings, and  the  other  innumerable  interruptions  which 
interfered  with  his  progress.  At  Montrose,  he  re- 
mained for  nearly  four  months,  and  his  son  had  for 
the  first  time  an  opportunity  to  watch  him  at  close 
quarters.  He  was  struck  with  his  immense  capacity 
for  concentrated  hard  work.  He  often  rose  early,  and 
was  standing  at  his  desk  before  breakfast ;  and  he 
would  work  continuously  until  nine  or  ten  o'clock  at 
night,  with  intermissions  only  for  meals  and  a  regular 
walk  in  the  late  afternoon.  He  worked  very  system- 
atically, gathering  his  material  and  arranging  it  with 
very  great  care.  His  son  went  over  the  entire  book 
in  manuscript  page  by  page  ;  nearly  every  paragraph 
was  separately  considered,  and  it  was  Mackenzie's 
request  that  the  severest  criticism  should  be  applied, 
not  only  to  the  mere  matter  of  expression,  but  to  the 
spirit  and  substance  of  his  narratives  and  arguments. 
These  things  he  discussed  with  the  utmost  simplicity 
and  earnestness,  and  showed  deep  anxiety  to  see  the 
point  of  every  criticism  or  suggestion  before  deciding 
upon  it.  He  took  immense  pains  to  make  his  book 
a  final  authority  on  South  African  affairs  so  far  as  he 


"BAFFLED  TO  FIGHT  BETTER"  413 


dealt  with  them,  and  to  secure  accuracy  at  every  point. 
As  many  of  the  chapters  necessarily  dealt  with  delicate 
personal  affairs,  he  determined  to  make  no  statement 
for  which  he  could  not  refer  to  an  authority.  He  was 
thoroughly  aware  that  in  writing  this  kind  of  book  he 
probably  destroyed  all  chance  of  any  future  appoint- 
ment under  Government,  but  on  that,  with  his  char- 
acteristic shrug  of  the  shoulders,  he  said,  "  I  am  not  in 
this  for  that  sort  of  thing,  I  am  only  anxious  that  the 
facts  should  be  driven  home  to  the  English  mind,  in 
order  that  they  may  do  the  right  thing  in  and  for 
South  Africa."  The  result  of  his  prolonged  labours 
appeared  in  the  autumn  of  that  year,  1887,  under  the 
title  "  Austral  Africa,  Losing  it  or  Ruling  it  :  Being 
Incidents  and  Experiences  in  Bechuanaland,  Cape 
Colony,  and  England."  It  was  a  large  work  in  two 
volumes,  extending  to  more  than  a  thousand  pages  in 
all,  with  a  very  complete  map,  many  illustrations  and 
photographs.  In  the  preface  he  states  the  object  that 
lay  before  his  mind  in  this  and  all  his  labours. 

"  That  object  is,  on  the  one  hand,  to  deliver  South 
Africa  from  the  calamities,  and  England  from  the 
expense,  heart-rending,  and  discords,  hitherto  attend- 
ing the  *  Hammer-and-Tongs  Policy '  and  the  equally 
disastrous  policy  of  '  shirking  '  ;  and  on  the  other  hand, 
to  save  the  empire  from  having  an  ill-secured  dominion 
or  an  ill-disposed  because  neglected  population  close 
to  its  most  important  naval  station."  The  entire  work 
is  divided  into  six  books.  Book  I.  is  entitled,  "  Illus- 
trations of  Native  Life  and  European  Expansion,"  and 
contains  a  large  amount  of  information  regarding 
Bechuana  tribes,  which  is  available  nowhere  else.  He 
also  describes  at  length  the  relation  of  the  British 
Government  to  Bechuanaland  between  1876  and 
1883.  Book  II.  is  entitled  "The  Bechuanaland  Pro- 
tectorate— incidents  and  adventures  among  the  Free- 
booters."   This  is  an  account  in  seven  chapters  of  his 


414  JOHN  MACKENZIE 


own  Deputy  Commissionership.     In  Book  III.,  which 
he  calls  "  Backing  Out,"  he  takes  eight  chapters  to 
describe  in  full  detail  the  history  of  the  machinations 
which  tripped  him  up,  and  resulted  in  the  confusion  of 
Bechuanaland   and  the   triumph   of  the  Transvaal. 
With  Book  IV.  he  enters  upon  the  second  volume, 
and  in  seven  chapters  describes  "  The  Bechuanaland 
Expedition  under  Sir  Charles  Warren."    This  only 
carries   the   story   to   Mafeking.     In   Book  V.  he 
completes  the  narrative  of  Sir  Charles's   work  in 
Bechuanaland,  and  unfolds  the  influences  which  led  to 
the  premature  recall  of  the  Special  Commissioner. 
Book  VI.  consists  of  four  chapters,  on  "  The  Imperial 
Government  in  South  Africa — the  Past,  the  Present, 
and  the  Future."    This  is  a  judicial  and  compre- 
hensive survey  of  the  relation  of  Great  Britain  to  that 
portion    of   the   Empire.     After   stating   the  main 
features  of  the  past  work  of  England  in  South  Africa, 
he  goes  on  to  explain  the  "  unrecognised  law  "  which 
has  ever  governed  the  spread  of  Europeans  in  that 
region  ;    he  then  discusses  Cape  politics  in  order  to 
show  at  once  the  natural  range  of  the  influence  of 
that  Colony  and  the  limits  within  which,  for  its  own 
sake  and  for  the  sake  of  all  South  Africa,  this  influence 
should  be  restricted.     He  closes  his  work  with  a 
chapter  on  "  The  Sum  of  the  Whole  Matter — Imperial 
Duties  and  Imperial  Methods."     His  last  pages  are 
written  with  the  deepest  feeling,  but  in  the  simplest 
and  most  direct  fashion.     He  describes  the  future  of 
South  Africa  in  the  light  of  the  policy  which  he  has 
advocated.    "  Like  every  true  vision  of  the  future,"  he 
says,    "  mine    ends    in    peace,    and    not    in  war." 
"  Assuredly,  as  England  has  abolished  duelling,  and 
still  retains  her  honour  and  her  self-respect,  so  will  the 
savage  arbitrament  of  war  be  discredited  and  disused 
the  world  over,  when  the  thoughts  of  the  victorious 
Galilean  shall  have  become  the  code  of  the  world. 


BAFFLED  TO  FIGHT  BETTER"  415 


Then  the  contests  of  men  will  consist  in  the  noble 
emulations  of  literature,  art,  commerce,  and  industry  ; 
in  all  of  which  Austral  Africa  will  have  its  share.  I 
see  these  things  with  the  eye  of  the  soul  ;  they  will 
surely  come  to  pass.  I  pray  to  be  permitted  to  see 
some  of  them  with  the  bodily  eye  also." 


CHAPTER  XVI 


ENGLAND  THE  REJECTION   OF  A  PROPHET 

(1888-1889) 

At  the  dawn  of  the  year  1888  Mackenzie  saw  and 
felt  on  all  sides  the  influence  of  his  book.  Reviews 
were  appearing  all  over  the  country  w^eek  by  week, 
and  month  by  month.  Freed  from  his  heavy  task, 
and  helped  by  its  results,  Mackenzie  was  now  able 
to  undertake  the  agitation  of  his  cause  on  a  wider 
scale,  and  in  a  greater  variety  of  ways,  than  had 
been  possible  hitherto.  The  supreme  aim  before 
him  was,  as  we  have  seen,  to  secure  the  separation 
of  the  offices  of  High  Commissioner  for  South 
Africa  and  Governor  of  the  Cape  Colony. 

The  following  extracts  from  a  letter  to  his  wife 
show  the  manner  in  which  he  resumed  the  campaign 
early  in  the  new  year  : — 

II  Queen  Square, 
London,  14///  J  any.  1888. 

As  I  said,  I  got  here  all  right  on  Thursday  morning,  and 
found  a  letter  from  Mr  H.  O.  Arnold  Forster,  and  a  card 
from  Mr  Loring,  both  asking  to  see  me  specially,  and  soon. 
There  was  also  a  note  from  L.  M.  S.,  asking  me  to  give  an 
address  |to  their  Young  Men's  Missionary  Band,  which  meets 
in  the  Mission  House  every  month.  I  corrected  the  proof, 
and  consented  to  give  this  address. 

On  calling  for  Loring  I  found  (as  H.  O.  Arnold  Forster's 
letter  had  told  me)  that  they  two  were  looking  forward  to 
meeting  Lord  Rosebery  to-day,  and  having  a  talk  with  him 
about  South  Africa,  and  especially  about  the  High  Com- 
missionership.  I  met  Arnold  Forster  on  Friday  at  his  office 
at  Cassels'  Place.  On  both  occasions  I  had  a  long  talk  with 
416 


THE  REJECTION  OF  A  PROPHET  417 


them,  answering  all  imaginable  difficulties,  etc.,  as  best  I 
could.  They  have  also  got  between  them  the  pamphlet 
which  Mr  Kirby  pubhshed,  and  that  last  long  statement 
which  the  Colonial  Office  did  not  publish,  and  other 
things. 

Tuesday  evening. — The  enclosed  letter  has  been  in  my 
pocket  for  the  last  two  days,  waiting  for  time  to  put  down 
result  of  Loring's  and  Arnold  Forster's  interview  with  Lord 
Rosebery.  They  were  pleased  with  their  visit  on  the  whole, 
and  have  sent  Lord  R.  my  book,  marking  certain  passages 
for  him  to  read.  He  seems  to  have  answered  them  very 
guardedly,  perhaps  sceptically,  on  some  matters ;  but  pro- 
fessed his  entire  ignorance  of  the  question.  The  thing  is, 
therefore,  still  in  progress  so  far  as  he  is  concerned ;  that  is 
all  that  can  be  said. 

I  am  dining  at  Lady  Walker's  to-morrow,  Wednesday. 
To-day  when  I  came  home  from  my  wanderings  I  found 
a  note  from  Lady  Seafield,  brought  by  her  servant,  inviting 
me  to  dine  with  them  on  Friday,  and  I'm  going.  Sir  C. 
Warren  is  to  be  there,  she  told  me.  Really  Lady  S.  is  as 
friendly  as  friendly  could  be.    I  am  thankful  for  it. 

I  have  seen  the  Amatonga  Deputation,  but  I  shall  not  fill 
up  this  page  with  them.  I  reserve  for  it  a  very  striking  piece 
of  news  which  my  friend,  Sir  Charles  Mills,  the  agent  of  the 
Cape  Colony  in  England,  told  me.  I  let  him  talk  for  full 
half-an-hour  or  more  on  his  own  subjects,  and  then,  on  our 
feet  now,  I  led  him  on  to  talk  of  the  High  Commissioner- 
ship.  He  said  first,  "  They'll  never  do  it."  I  said,  "  No,  not 
till  they  are  told  by  the  English  people  to  do  it,  and  then  they'll 
do  it  sharp."  I  got  him  to  talk  about  it,  and  at  last  he  said, 
I  wish  you  all  success,  Mackenzie.  A  splendid  thing  if  you 
can  carry  it.  The  Marquis  of  Lome  should  be  your  first 
High  Commissioner.  I  may  tell  you  between  ourselves  that 
I  asked  him  if  he  would  not  go  out  to  South  Africa,  and  he 
distinctly  declined  to  go  out  as  Governor  of  the  Cape  Colony, 
but  said  he  would  go  as  High  Commissioner  ;  and  that  the 
Princess  would  go  too."  Just  think,  dearie,  what  that 
amounts  to  in  the  education  of  public  opinion.  No  one 
thought  of  such  a  position  as  the  Marquis  takes  up,  some 
time  ago.  I  do  think  I  may  claim  something  in  connection 
with  that.  I  wrote  one  memorandum  with  the  express  pur- 
pose in  my  own  mind  of  preventing  the  Marquis  from  going 
out  as  Governor  of  the  Cape,  without  directly  referring  to  it. 


2  D 


4i8 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


Sir  C.  Mills  told  me  this  with  a  feeling  of  disappointment  at 
his  own  want  of  success,  but  he  then  brightened  up  and  said, 
"  If  he  goes  out,  and  you  get  a  good  Governor  for  the  Cape, 
then  the  thing  will  be  done." 

Now  say  that  he  was  saying  pleasing  things  to  me,  what  I 
care  for  is  the  fact  that  he  asked  Lome,  and  Lome  refused. 
It  is  a  great  fact  in  the  history  of  this  movement. 

On  February  loth  he  delivered  a  lecture  before  the 
Kensington  Branch  of  the  Imperial  Federation  League. 
The  President  of  the  Branch,  Sir  Rawson  Rawson,  was 
in  the  chair,  and  the  meeting  was  very  successful. 
Mackenzie  gave  the  following  breezy  description  of 
it  to  his  wife  : — 

1 1  Queen  Square,  London, 
Saturday. 

Dearest, — The  lecture  has  been  delivered,  and  every- 
body except  myself  expressed  great  pleasure. 

There  was  a  good  audience  for  London,  especially  as  it  was 
a  bitterly  cold  night.  The  kind  of  people  was  what  you  would 
call  "  superior,"  you  know.  There  were  a  good  many  quite 
unknown  to  me.  There  were  others  whose  faces  I  had  seen 
elsewhere  ;  and  then  there  were  not  a  few  whom  I  reckon  as 
personal  friends.  But  to  be  historical  !  I  went  (dressed)  to 
the  Hall  at  5.30  by  appointment,  to  see  that  everything  was 
right  on  the  platform.  I  arranged  a  music  stand  for  MS., 
and  so  on.  Then  went  over  to  Loring's,  where  I  had  time 
in  his  study  to  look  over  my  notes.  Dined  at  7,  Mr  and 
Mrs  O'Brien  being  the  other  guests.  Mrs  O'Brien  is  one  of 
the  late  Mr  Forster's  (adopted)  daughters.  Like  her  sisters, 
she  is  very  sweet  and  nice.  After  dinner,  to  the  Town  Hall. 
I  spoke  from  the  notes.  I  could  see  them  fairly  well,  and 
stood  after  a  time  with  the  pointer  in  my  hand,  to  describe 
the  map.  The  lecture  was  too  long,  or  rather  the  Chairman 
took  a  longer  time  than  one  would  have  expected,  when  the 
hour  to  begin  with  was  8.30.  So  I  had  to  hasten  over  the 
latter  part  of  the  lecture ;  when  I  said  I  was  doing  so  the 
people  applauded  as  if  to  say,  "  Go  on,"  but  I  saw  for  myself 
that  the  time  was  getting  late. 

Sir  Rawson  Rawson  greeted  me  warmly  on  my  getting  on 
the  platform,  and  Sir  Henry  Barkly  came  forward  and  shook 
hands  quite  as  with  an  old  friend. 


THE  REJECTION  OF  A  PROPHET  419 


I  saw  Dunn,  Rider  Haggard,  Mrs  Reed  and  young  Guy 
Reed,  the  brother  of  Mr  Betts,  Mr  James  Buchan,  Mr  and 
Mrs  Wm.  Simpson  and  party.  Colonel  Tracy  and  Miss  Tracy, 
Robertson,  Steele  (Port  Elizabeth) ;  Maynard  (your  friend), 
Prebendary  Tucker,  of  Society  for  Propagation  of  the  Gospel, 
&c.,  &c. 

Rider  Haggard  spoke  very  well — certainly  in  a  most 
appreciative  and  complimentary  way  of  myself :  I  had 
"  saved  Bechuanaland  and  the  Bechuanas,  and  if  a  man 
did  only  that  he  had  done  a  great  work."  He  started  on 
this  track  by  saying  there  was  one  thing  which  I  had 
omitted,  and  which  looked  formidable  for  a  moment.  I 
spoke  to  him  afterwards  for  a  minute,  only  in  whispers, 
however.    I  hope  to  see  him  by-and-by. 

Wm.  Dunn  spoke,  and  did  so  tellingly,  as  a  Cape 
merchant,  as  to  the  value  of  the  policy  which  I  was 
bringing  forward.  He  referred  also  to  an  early  acquaint- 
ance with  me  and  my  young  bride  so  many  years  ago  ! 

Mr  Mackarness,  who  was  once  in  South  Africa,  and  who 
writes  letters  in  the  Ti7nes  on  that  subject,  spoke.  Loring 
had  told  me  that  he  was  pro-Robinson  in  his  views  as  to  the 
High  Commissioner,  so  I  got  Loring  to  write  to  him  to  say 
that  I  should  be  very  glad  if  he  came  and  stated  his  views 
without  personalities,  and  left  the  public  to  decide.  He  said 
in  a  few  words  that  he  wanted  to  know  who  was  to  pay  the 
High  Commissioner,  where  he  was  to  live,  and  what  he  was  to 
do.  But  I  really  think  he  had  been  shaken  by  the  lecture, 
because  he  hastened  to  congratulate  me  on  the  lecture  as  a 
whole,  and  on  my  other  writings  and  efforts  in  behalf  of 
South  Africa,  and  that  he  had  always  much  pleasure  in 
reading  my  communications. 

Sir  Henry  Barkly  seconded  the  vote  of  thanks  to  me, 
which  was  proposed  by  the  Chairman. 

Sir  Henry  backed  me  up  out  and  out.  He  said,  in  his 
opinion,  my  views  were  thoroughly  sound,  and  such  as 
ought  to  be  adopted.  If  there  had  been  time  he  could 
have  illustrated  by  his  own  personal  experience.  As  to 
myself  personally,  I  had  had  no  chance  of  putting  my 
views  into  practice,  and  he  hoped  that  in  that  extension 
of  our  Protectorate  which  must  take  place,  my  services 
would  be  brought  into  requisition.  This  was  meant  in 
great  kindness,  but  I  had  rather  he  had  not  said  it. 

In  replying,  I  thanked  them  for  their  indulgence  for  such 


420  JOHN  MACKENZIE 


a  length  of  time.  I  said,  with,  I  suppose,  a  grin  on  my  face, 
that  by  far  the  nicest  part  of  the  lecture  was  that  which  they 
had  not  heard  ! 

Loring  was  delighted,  and  so  was  Mrs  L.  She  did  not 
know  when  she  had  enjoyed  a  lecture  so  much.  Mrs 
O'Brien  sent  a  message  by  her  to  say  she  thanked  me  for 
Mrs  Forster,  for  some  true  things  I  said  about  her  husband 
at  the  outset. 

Mr  Dunn  came  up  and  asked  where  you  were,  that  he 
might  shake  hands  with  you.  He  was  disappointed  when  I 
told  him. 

Now  if  this  is  not  a  full  and  particular  account  I  don't 
know,  and,  if  I  am  not  a  sublimely  good  person  for  retailing 
it  all,  I  wonder  who  can  put  in  a  claim  to  be  good  or  obedient 
to  orders. 

Early  in  April  it  was  given  out  that  the  Govern- 
ment had  decided  not  to  establish  a  High  Com- 
missionership,  such  as  Mackenzie  and  the  South 
African  Committee  had  been  attempting  to  secure ; 
but  this  decision,  or  the  attempt  to  reach  it,  seems 
to  have  been  shaken  considerably  by  an  important 
review  of  "  Austral  Africa,"  which  appeared  in  the 
Times,  and  a  very  powerful  leading  article  in  the 
same  paper,  entitled,  "  Africa  after  the  Scramble." 
In  both  of  these  the  Tiines  spoke  very  strongly  in 
favour  of  Mackenzie's  policy.  But  at  the  same  time 
Mackenzie  was  made  aware  that  the  opposition  from 
Cape  Town  was  becoming  very  bitter.  It  threatened 
to  assume  the  form  of  a  personal  controversy  when 
Captain  Bower  dipped  his  fingers  into  it.  This 
Imperial  Secretary  of  South  Africa  had  written  to 
a  well-known  English  Member  of  Parliament,  assur- 
ing him  that  the  separation  of  the  ofifices  would 
destroy  the  country,  and  begging  him  not  to  be 
misled  by  an  enthusiast.  His  further  characterisa- 
tion of  the  enthusiast  was  such  as  led  Mackenzie 
to  assert  that  it  was  "  meant  to  undermine  me,  and 
to  destroy  me." 

In  the  spring  of  this  year  Mackenzie  first  entered 


THE  REJECTION  OF  A  PROPHET  421 


into  direct  correspondence  with  Lord  Rosebery,  and 
for  a  time  it  seemed  as  if  this  leader  of  Imperial 
plans  would  be  induced  to  master  the  South  African 
problem,  and  become  the  promoter  of  Imperialism 
there.  As  the  following  letters  will  show,  however, 
the  wide-awake,  but  cautious  Earl,  in  spite  of  his 
interest  in  the  question,  could  not  be  induced  to 
give  it  more  than  casual  attention  : — 

7  WoBURN  Place, 
London,  \st  March  1888. 

I  have  just  come  from  a  long  interview  with  Lord  Rosebery 
by  invitation.  Loring  went  with  me,  and  was  present.  He, 
Loring,  was  well  satisfied  with  the  interview.  Lord  R.  professed 
his  ignorance,  but  I  found  he  had  got  some  working  know- 
ledge of  the  subject.  We  went  at  it  up  and  down,  over 
and  across,  for,  I  suppose,  more  than  an  hour.  He  spoke 
very  sensibly,  and  his  objections  and  questions  were  such 
as  one  had  pleasure  in  answering.  I  seemed  to  satisfy 
him  on  each  point,  but  perhaps  that  would  be  too  sanguine 
a  view. 

I  have  been  asked  to  address  the  Chamber  of  Commerce 
of  London.  I  mentioned  this,  and  he  said  he  thought  I 
should.  Would  he  attend  the  meeting,  and  speak  or  pre- 
side? "Well,  no,  he  had  to  take  his  wife  to  the  Continent 
soon.  He  might  attend  it."  Loring  says  this  is  near  enough 
in  the  meantime,  and  that  possibly  he  will  come  and  speak 
when  formally  asked.  So  I  am  going  to  write  to  our  friend 
Dunn,  and  ask  him  to  introduce  me  to  Mr  Tritton,  the 
present  chairman  of  the  Chamber,  and  have  a  consultation  as 
to  what  should  be  done. 

In  the  meantime  keep  a  lookout  for  questions  in  the 
House  of  Lords  as  to  the  High  Commissionership.  I 
expect  Lord  R.  will  put  one  soon.  He  has  already  put 
one  as  to  the  Delagoa  Bay  railway,  which  had  an  important 
sentence  in  it. 

Then  the  Imperial  Federation  League's  political  com- 
mittee at  its  meeting  yesterday  has  recommended  the  League 
to  take  up  this  Austral  African  question  as  League  business. 
This  is  a  most  important  decision,  but  it  will  not  be  ratified 
till  a  meeting  of  the  General  Executive  Committee  takes 
place.    It  is  likely  to  be  carried. 


422 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


Last  night  I  lectured  to  a  Christian  Young  Men's  Club  at 
Bloomsbury.    Had  the  large  map. 

7  WoBURN  Place, 
LONDO-V,  \i\th  March  1888. 

I  have  received  such  a  strong,  ably  written  letter,  from  the 
editor  of  the  GrahamstoiV7i  Journal  this  week.  It  was  shown 
to  Lord  Rosebery,  who  read  it  with  great  interest.  His  ques- 
tion as  to  the  duplex  offices  was  in  writing,  and  handed  in. 
Lord  Kimberley  came  to  him,  and  "wired  in"  on  the  other 
side,  retaining  matters  as  they  are.  Lord  R.  withdrew  his 
question,  Kimberley  and  he  being  front  bench  men  together 
on  the  same  side.  Lord  R.  retains  his  opinion.  I  wrote  him 
last  night,  and  wait  the  result.    This  is  strictly  private. 

A  definite  attempt  was  made  to  secure  Lord 
Rosebery  as  chairman  at  the  approaching  meeting, 
vi^hich  led  to  the  following  letter  from  him  : — 

Lansdowne  House,  Berkeley  Square, 
London,  \  ^th  March  1888. 

Dear  Mr  Mackenzie, — Many  thanks  for  your  letter,  and 
for  the  former  one  which  I  ought  to  have  acknowledged. 
Both  of  them  interested  me  extremely.  I  incline  to  think 
that  a  question  with  regard  to  the  Cape  would  be  best  asked 
in  the  House  of  Commons. 

With  regard  to  the  dates  you  mention,  I  am  afraid  none 
of  them  would  suit  me,  as  I  propose  going  abroad  at  the  end 
of  next  week,  so  that  I  shall  have  to  read  and  not  listen  to 
your  address. — Believe  me,  yours  very  truly, 

Rosebery. 

P.S. — I  was  much  interested  in  the  letter  Loring  showed 
me,  and  am  grateful  to  you  for  allowing  me  to  see  it. 

One  of  the  most  important  of  all  Mackenzie's 
addresses  was  that  which  he  delivered  on  May  14th, 
1888,  before  the  London  Chamber  of  Commerce. 
Mr  Chamberlain  occupied  the  chair,  and  the  meeting 
was  both  large  and  very  influential.  In  his  opening 
speech  Mr  Chamberlain,  with  his  marvellous  gift  of 
exposition,  set  forth  the  central  problem  of  South 
African   policy.      He  showed  the  extreme  danger, 


THE  REJECTION  OF  A  PROPHET  423 


alike  to  the  Empire  and  to  South  Africa,  which 
would  result  from  the  policy  of  neglect. 

Now  what  is  the  alternative  ?  There  is  only  one  alterna- 
tive, and  that  is,  that  we  should  accept  our  obligations  and 
responsibilities.  We  should  maintain  firmly  and  resolutely 
our  hold  over  the  territories  that  we  have  already  acquired, 
and  we  should  offer  freely  our  Protectorate  to  those  friendly 
chiefs  and  people  that  are  stretching  out  their  hands  towards 
us  and  seeking  our  protection  and  our  interference. 

He  shrunk  from  committing  himself  regarding  the 
separation  of  the  two  great  offices  ;  that,  he  said, 

is  a  matter  which  must  be  left  to  the  responsible  officers 
of  the  Queen,  who  have  much  better  opportunities  of  know- 
ledge than  any  that  I  can  possess ;  but  one  thing  I  do  say, 
that  if  we  are  once  for  all  to  recognize  our  obligations  in 
regard  to  this  great  Continent,  we  must  do  so  in  pursuance  of 
an  Imperial  policy,  and  not  of  a  Colonial  policy,  if  in  any 
respect  that  differs  from  ours. 

The  title  of  Mackenzie's  address  was  "  Austral 
Africa,  Extension  of  British  Influence  in  Trans- 
Colonial  Territories." 

He  devoted,  as  usual,  the  first  part  of  his  lecture 
to  a  description  of  the  South  African  Colonies  and 
States. 

The  second  part  of  the  lecture  described  "  Trans- 
Colonial  Native  Territories."  In  the  paragraph  which 
dealt  with  railway  communication, he  strongly  advocated 
the  immediate  consideration,  both  for  commercial  and 
political  reasons,  of  "  a  dominating  north-going  railway 
through  the  Colony  of  Bechuanaland,  so  that  the  trade 
of  the  richest  country  in  Austral  Africa — a  veritable 
Ophir  of  the  olden  time,  with  its  gold  and  its  iron,  its 
cotton  and  its  rice — may  be  secured  for  English 
commerce,  and  for  our  fellow  subjects  in  South 
Africa." 

The  third  portion  of  the  lecture  was  entitled,  "  Place 
and   Work  of   the   Imperial   Government."  After 


424  JOHN  MACKENZIE 


describing  some  of  the  influences  which  had  interfered 
with  the  development  of  direct  Imperial  administration 
since  1884,  he  came  to  make  his  two  great  definite 
proposals,  viz.,  first,  "  that  the  Imperial  administration 
should  be  extended  to  all  Khame's  territory,  as  pro- 
posed by  Khame  himself  to  Sir  Charles  Warren,  and 
secondly,  the  appointment  of  an  Imperial  High  Com- 
missioner who  should  be  unencumbered  with  any  local 
office.  This,  he  maintained,  would  not  involve  any 
"  interference  with  the  present  rights  and  privileges  of 
the  Colonists,"  nor  would  it  take  the  form  of  an 
"  abrupt  resolution,"  but  rather  of  a  "  necessary 
growth."  The  lecturer  further  discussed  the  reasons 
for  making  this  change  at  that  time,  and  some  of  the 
objections  which  were  urged  against  it. 

Mackenzie's  address  was  followed  by  a  public  dis- 
cussion, the  first  speaker  being  Sir  Charles  Warren, 
who  rose  to  move  a  vote  of  thanks  to  the  reader  of 
the  paper.  He  was  followed  by  Sir  George  Baden- 
Powell.  A  discordant  note  was  introduced  into  the 
discussion  by  Sir  Henry  de  Villiers  of  Cape  Colony, 
whose  speech,  however,  practically  admitted  the  need 
for  the  very  changes  which  Mackenzie  advocated. 
This  was  at  once  cleverly  pointed  out  by  Mr  Arnold 
Forster.  Mackenzie's  warm  friend,  Mr  Walter  Searle, 
President  of  the  Cape  Town  Chamber  of  Commerce, 
very  earnestly  advocated  the  position  taken  by  the 
lecturer. 

The  following  letter  was  written  by  Sir  Henry 
Barkly,  formerly  High  Commissioner  for  South 
Africa,  and  Governor  of  Cape  Colony,  who  was 
unable  to  attend  the  meeting  : — 

South  Kensington, 
\2th  May  1888. 

Dear  Mr  Mackenzie, — I  am  very  sorry  not  to  be  able  to 
attend  on  Monday,  and  hear  your  address  on  "  The  Extension 
of  British  Influence  in  Trans-Colonial  Territories." 


THE  REJECTION  OF  A  PRPOHET  425 


Had  I  done  so,  and  been  called  on  to  take  part  in  the 
subsequent  description,  I  should  have  urged,  as  I  did  at 
Kensington  Town  Hall,  that  it  was  better,  whenever  any 
fresh  annexation  of  native  territory  took  place,  that  it 
should  be  in  the  first  instance  under  the  sole  control  of 
an  authority  directly  responsible  to  the  Secretary  of  State 
for  the  Colonies ;  and,  further,  that,  believing  your  views 
as  to  the  arrangements  which  ought  to  be  made  in  regard 
to  the  introduction  of  European  settlers  into  such  territories, 
to  be  the  result  of  much  experience  and  reflection,  I  was  still 
in  hopes  that  you  would  some  day  be  afforded  a  fair  oppor- 
tunity of  carrying  them  into  practice,  in  the  course  of  those 
extensions  of  British  rule  towards  the  Zambesi,  which  appear 
inevitable. — Believe  me,  Yours  very  truly, 

Henry  Barkly. 

In  July  news  came  by  cablegram,  announcing  that 
a  meeting  of  Government  officials  had  been  held  at 
Mafeking,  to  discuss  the  project  of  a  Bechuanaland 
railway.     Mackenzie  in  referring  to  this,  says  : — 

The  movement  must  be  favoured  by  Sir  Hercules  Robin- 
son, which  is  surely  good.  I  fear,  however,  that  he,  or  rather 
Bower,  has  some  trick  behind,  in  regard  to  handing  the  terri- 
tory over  to  the  Colony,  in  connection  with  this  very  railway 
making. 

Glasgow,  Aug.  lotk  1888. 

I  have  been  unusually  busy,  indeed  chained  to  my  desk, 
since  I  came  down.  I  have  just  been  once  to  the  Exhibition, 
and  have  not  found  time  to  look  up  a  single  Glasgow  merchant 
as  yet.  My  paper  for  the  British  Association  is  ready,  but 
the  amount  of  correspondence  just  now  caused  by  the  tactics 
adopted  at  the  Cape  is  very  great  and  very  imperative. 

You  would  see  the  result  of  the  publication  of  my  memo, 
on  the  High  Commissionership.  Another  despatch  from  Sir 
H.  Robinson,  and  a  minute  from  his  Ministers'  Resolutions, 
and  from  the  Cape  Parliament,  deprecating  the  change  which 
I  propose,  and  which  the  British  public  desire. 

I  enclose  the  tactical  reply  to  this  clever  move  at  the  Cape 
— "a  put-up  job,"  as  the  Cape  Times  calls  it.  I  hope  to  get 
this  really  extensively  signed  by  both  parties,  and  outside 
Parliament  also.    If  Bechuanaland  is  made  a  Crown  Colony 


426 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


really  and  i?i  good  faith,  we  shall  see  the  Cape  speedily  lose 
all  liking  for  the  High  Commissionership.  What  they  mean 
is  land  ;  that  must  be  kept  for  Imperial  needs  and  Imperial 
management.  When  they  are  assured  of  this  at  the  Cape  the 
victory  will  be  complete. 

II  Queen  Square, 
1st  Nov.  1888. 

Rhodes  and  the  Argus  have  had  a  fling  at  me. — Rhodes  in 
an  electioneering  speech,  and  the  Argus  backing  him  up. 
Nothing  of  the  slightest  importance,  and  the  Argus  says  I 
am  going  on  slandering  the  Colony  over  here.  I  may  send 
out  a  few  lines,  just  to  tone  the  matter  a  little.  Not  sure  yet. 

Had  a  pleasant  Sunday  at  Warlies,  Sir  Fowell  going  to 
collect  names  for  memo.  Offers  his  house  for  a  drawing- 
room  meeting,  should  that  be  necessary. 

1 1  Queen  Square, 
^th  Nov.  1888. 

I  have  just  come  from  Dr  Parker's,  where  I  stayed  for 
communion,  which  I  always  enjoy.  It  is  always  a  time  when 
one  can  lay  one's  case  before  the  good  Lord  as  it  stands 
between  this  time  and  next  communion  season.  Thank  God, 
there  is  always  something  done,  something  achieved.  May  He 
help  for  the  next  month. 

II  Queen  Square, 
London,  14///  Nov.  1888. 

I  have  been  to  a  meeting  of  the  African  Section  of  the 
Chamber  of  Commerce.  They  have  passed  a  resolution 
unanimously  against  annexation  of  Bechuanaland  to  the  Cape, 
but  it  is  not  valid  formally  till  it  has  been  sanctioned  by  the 
General  Executive  of  the  Chamber.  Then  a  Deputation  will 
go  to  Government  on  the  matter.  This  is  so  much  work  done. 

In  September  Mackenzie  read  a  paper  before  the 
Geographical  Section  of  the  British  Association,  which 
held  its  meeting  that  year  at  Bath.  He  was  very  well 
received,  as  the  following  extract  from  a  letter  to  one 
of  his  sons  will  show  : — 

Bath,  wth  Sept.  1888. 

Get  a  look  at  the  Times  for  Tuesday  nth,  and  you  will 
see  that  I  have  had  a  very  good  reception  here.    The  large 


THE  REJECTION  OF  A  PROPHET  427 


Guild  Hall  was  filled,  and  they  were  really  very  kind.  It  is  to 
appear  in  abstract  in  the  Royal  Geographical  Society's  paper. 
Mr  Bates,  the  Secretary,  whom  I  know,  was  very  well  pleased 
with  it.  Its  publication  was  recommended  in  a  short  speech 
by  good  and  kind  Sir  Robert  Fowler,  and  also  referred  to  by 
the  Chairman  of  the  Section,  Sir  C.  Wilson.  Judge  of  my 
great  pleasure,  in  turning  away  from  the  recently  uncovered 
Roman  Baths  yesterday  afternoon,  to  meet  dear  Mr  Neild, 
who  is  here,  and  his  family.  He  simply  carried  me  off  bodily, 
and  I  spent  the  afternoon  with  them,  part  of  it  being  at  a 
Friend's  house  in  a  garden-party.  The  Friends  are  delightful 
people.    I  admire  them  very  much,  and  love  them. 

On  November  29th  he  delivered  a  lecture  at 
Newcastle,  and  spent  Christmas  time  at  Portobello 
with  his  family. 

If  1888  was  a  busy  year,  1889  was  a  year  which 
almost  crushed  his  life.  At  its  beginning  he  saw  the 
interest  of  the  British  public  in  South  African  affairs 
steadily  increasing.  Wide  circles  had  now  been  taught, 
and  were  inspired  with  his  views,  and  these  circles 
comprised  the  most  intelligent  elements  in  the  com- 
munity, those  who  were  directly  interested  in  Parlia- 
mentary affairs,  those  whose  minds  were  fast  awakening 
to  the  splendour  of  Britain's  Imperial  relationships  and 
destiny,  and  those  who  looked  upon  South  Africa  as  a 
field  for  future  commercial  enterprise. 

Mackenzie  felt  that  his  plea  for  recognising  Austral 
Africa  as  a  great  dominion  had  taken  hold  of  the 
public  imagination.  He  knew  that  his  arguments 
from  logic  and  history  in  favour  of  an  Imperial  High 
Commissionership  for  all  South  Africa  were  unanswer- 
able, and  he  found  men  of  experience  always  in  his 
favour.  Strong  supporters  of  the  Government  were 
on  his  side.  The  Chambers  of  Commerce  of  the 
leading  cities  were  on  his  side.  The  great  majority 
of  the  newspapers  were  on  his  side.  It  really  looked 
as  if  the  British  Dominion  was  about  to  be  established 
in  that  year  of  grace,  1889,  from  Cape  Town  to  the 


428 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


Zambesi,  without  noise  or  war  or  expenditure  of  much 
money,  by  the  final  adoption  of  a  great  purpose,  and 
the  final  establishment  of  a  definite  policy.  If  at  that 
time  he  had  seen  the  announcement  that  the  Govern- 
ment would  send  out  a  new  High  Commissioner  for 
all  South  Africa  and  also  separate  Governors  for  the 
Cape  Colony  and  Natal,  an  Administrator  for  the 
Crown  Colony  of  Bechuanaland,  and  another  British 
representative  to  guide  the  development  of  Matabele- 
land,  this  ardent  servant  of  God  and  his  country  would 
have  felt  that  he  had  accomplished  what  during  these 
years  he  had  lived  for,  and  that  it  had  been  worth 
while  to  live  for  its  accomplishment.  But  "  the 
Assyrian  came  down,"  and  made  havoc  of  all  his 
hopes. 

News  reached  England  that  Mr  Rudd  had  visited 
the  capital  of  Matabeleland,  and  obtained  from  the 
Chief  the  most  remarkable  concession  known  in  South 
African  history.  Curious  stories  were  afloat  regarding 
the  help  which  he  received  from  important  govern- 
ment officials  in  his  efforts  to  secure  the  consent  of 
Lobengula  to  his  proposals.  In  South  Africa  itself 
there  was  an  outcry  among  those  newspapers  which 
were  yet  free  to  cry  out  against  such  events.  They 
argued  that  as  Matabeleland  had  been  declared  to  be 
within  the  sphere  of  British  influence,  and  as  a  British 
representative  had  already  visited  it  and  entered  into 
negotiations  with  its  Chief,  this  concession,  which  gave 
the  entire  minerals  of  a  vast  and  rich  territory  to  one 
man,  or  a  group  of  men,  was  a  monopoly  such  as 
Britain  ought  to  destroy.  But  protests  were  too  late, 
and  the  results  of  this  concession  speedily  became 
known. 

Feeling  that  the  plot  had  begun  to  thicken, 
Mackenzie  made  various  powerful  efforts  to  persuade 
the  Home  Government  to  take  definite  action  before 
new  influences  could  be  brought  to  bear  upon  it.  On 


THE  REJECTION  OF  A  PROPHET  429 


February  15  th  he  sent  a  long  letter  to  Lord  Salisbury, 
making  certain  proposals  regarding  South  Africa, 
which  seemed  to  him  to  concern  the  Foreign  Office  as 
much  as  the  Colonial  Office.  In  this  letter  he  began 
by  describing  the  critical  position  of  Great  Britain  in 
that  region.  The  following  significant  sentences, 
the  words  of  a  true  prophet,  occur  : — 

In  South  Africa  at  the  present  time,  the  question  which 
is  being  decided  by  the  persistent  efforts  of  our  opponents, 
and  by  our  own  action  (and  often  by  our  want  of  action)  is — 
Whether  or  not  South  Africa  shall  be  English-speaking  and 
owning  the  sway  of  England,  or  be  a  Dutch-speaking  country, 
owning  virtually  the  sway  of  a  rival  European  Power  ?  There 
are,  it  is  true,  a  few  Dutch-speaking  Republicans  in  South 
Africa,  who  bring  themselves  persistently  before  the  public ; 
but  however  sincere  they  may  be  in  their  desire  to  establish 
a  South  African  Independent  Dutch-speaking  Republic  from 
the  Zambesi  to  the  Cape,  the  real  alternatives  are,  whether 
the  country  shall  remain  under  the  influence  of  England,  or 
come  under  that  of  another  European  Power. 

Now,  Her  Majesty's  Government  can  assist  materially  in 
this  vital  matter  at  the  present  time,  and  that  without  inter- 
fering in  any  degree  with  the  internal  affairs  of  any  Colony 
or  of  any  self-governing  republic. 

The  first  of  his  numbered  paragraphs  dealt  with  the 
need  for  developing  South  Central  Africa  north  of  the 
Cape  Colony  under  a  Lieutenant-Governor,  "  who  shall 
be  in  direct  communication  with  Her  Majesty's  Govern- 
ment." He  pointed  out  that  Sir  Gordon  Sprigg  had 
admitted  "  that  this  great  region  could  not  be  success- 
fully governed  from  Cape  Town.'' 

In  the  second  place,  this  would  entail  the  formation 
of  a  more  rational  plan  for  the  treatment  of  Bechuana- 
land  than  had  yet  been  applied  to  other  regions 
occupied  by  native  tribes. 

And  in  all  this  there  is  no  partiality  towards  the  native, 
only  simple  justice.  The  Bechuana  chiefs  and  people,  in 
1885,  expressed  their  welcome  to  the  Imperial  Power,  and 
agreed  to  hand  over  the  whole  unoccupied  portions  of  their 


430 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


country  to  the  Queen.  They  are  prepared,  therefore,  for 
the  occupation  of  their  country  in  certain  districts  by  white 
settlers,  only  that  our  recent  shilly-shallying  on  this  subject, 
and  our  present  endeavours  to  prevent  any  such  settlement 
have  excited  suspicion  and  uneasiness  in  their  minds.  They 
can  have  no  doubt  of  the  coming  north  of  the  white  men. 
Our  refusal  to  control  their  orderly  settlement  is  justly  calcu- 
lated to  excite  their  uneasiness,  as  they  know  that  the  only 
alternative  is  brigandage  and  bloodshed.  It  is  distinctly  to 
this  abstention  that  we  owe  the  Grobelaar  incident,  which 
has  not  yet  been  settled. 

His  third  paragraph  insisted  that  Great  Britain 
must  hold  on  to  Bechuanaland  for  grave  political 
reasons  : — 

The  Anti-Imperial  party  at  the  Cape  have  been  very 
diligent  of  late,  and  they  have  had  the  advantage  of  receiv- 
ing assistance  from  unexpected  quarters.  But,  after  all,  the 
strength  of  our  position  is  that  we  do  not  interfere  with 
internal  Colonial  affairs  at  all,  we  only  hold  on  to  those 
regions  where  the  native  inhabitants  in  the  first  instance 
laid  us  under  obligations  to  them,  and  where  our  presence 
is  of  great  consequence  to  British  commerce  and  British 
influence  in  South  Africa. 

The  refusal  of  Cape  Colony  to  assist  in  the  build- 
ing of  a  railway  through  Bechuanaland  was  one  of 
these  reasons. 

The  Colonial  railway  stopped  short  for  years,  scores  of 
miles  south  of  Kimberley.  Why  ?  Because  Kimberley  was 
and  is  an  English  town.  It  was  a  commercial  sacrifice,  but 
a  political  pleasure,  to  keep  it  out  in  the  desert,  and  the 
railway  was  carried  through  only  in  1884  by  the  Colonial 
Government,  at  the  earnest  suggestion  of  the  Imperial 
Government.  Since  that  time  Kimberley  has  supplied  a 
market  to  the  Colonial  farmers  all  along  the  line,  and 
doubtless  they  see  that  they  lost  severely  by  not  having 
had  the  railway  at  an  earlier  date.  At  the  same  time,  Mr 
Hofmeyr  and  other  Anti-Imperial  leaders  are  dead  against 
railway  extension  to  the  British  Colony  of  Bechuanaland,  as 
they  were  to  the  British  district  of  the  Diamond-fields. 


THE  REJECTION  OF  A  PROPHET  431 


The  fourth  paragraph  suggested  a  plan  by  which 
two  results  could  be  obtained.  In  the  first  place, 
Cape  Colony  would  be  stimulated,  to  develop  its 
railway  system  northwards,  and,  besides.  Great  Britain 
would  acquire  a  shorter  route  into  the  interior  of 
South  Africa.  This  double  result  could  be  obtained 
if  Lord  Salisbury  would  negotiate  with  Germany  for 
British  control  of  the  region  lying  between  Walvisch 
Bay  and  South  Bechuanaland. 

Walvisch  Bay  is  one  of  the  best  harbours  on  all  the 
South  African  coast.  A  waggon  road,  accompanied  by  well- 
sinking,  from  Walvisch  Bay  to  Bechuanaland — followed  in 
the  course  of  time  by  a  railway — would  not  be  difficult  of 
accomplishment,  and  would  be  of  immense  importance  to 
Great  Britain,  politically  and  commercially.  It  would  be  a 
set-off  to  Delagoa  Bay  in  Portuguese  hands.  The  bare 
possibility  of  opening  such  communications  would  bring 
the  Cape  Colony  to  common  sense  as  to  its  railway  from 
Kimberley  to  Bechuanaland.  The  sharp  alternative  to  their 
not  making  this  connecting  railway  to  the  Bechuanaland 
border  would  be  the  loss  to  them  of  the  northern  trade. 
I  have  shown  that  opposition  to  Britain  can  carry  some  of 
their  leaders  a  long  distance  in  foolishness  and  disregard  of 
the  material  interests  of  the  Cape  Colony,  but  the  leverage 
of  a  threatened  Walvisch  Bay  route  of  colonization  and 
commerce  into  Bechuanaland  would  cause  the  Cape  Colony 
railway  from  Kimberley  to  the  southern  border  of  Bechuana- 
land to  be  constructed  without  delay. 

Taking  this  last  mentioned  advantage  alone,  it  would 
warrant  Her  Majesty's  Government  doing  its  utmost  to 
obtain  again  South  West  Africa,  and  so  repair  an  unaccount- 
able and  inexcusable  blunder  of  the  Imperial  Government 
some  years  ago. 

To  his  wife  he  writes  as  follows  : — 

London,  Feb.  22,  1889. 
We  have  had  a  very  important  meeting  of  the  South 
African  Committee  to-day,  Mr  Chamberlain  in  the  Chair, 
Lord  Polwarth,  Sir  C.  Warren,  and  a  considerable  number 
of  M.P.s  were  present.  Resolved,  that  a  certain  number  be 
deputed  to  meet  Lord  Knutsford  privately  and  have  it  out 


432 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


with  him,  and  see  what  they  could  get  out  of  him.  Were 
to  report  to  another  meeting,  and  if  that  is  held  not  to  be 
enough,  to  fight  him.  I  had  a  good  deal  of  speaking  to- 
day, as  Chamberlain  brought  it  to  real,  hard,  practical  work 
at  once,  and  Sir  Fowell  Buxton  coolly  turned  to  me  and 
asked  me  what  I  would  say  to  that.  We  had  a  long  dis- 
cussion, and  a  very  interesting  one.  There  was  never  such 
a  body  of  influence  in  favour  of  my  views  as  at  present. 
The  Committee  is  really  an  influential  one,  and  we  may 
have  some  "events  "  soon. 

II  Queen  Square, 
d^th  March  1889. 

The  South  African  Committee  had  a  meeting  on  Saturday, 
Mr  Chamberlain  in  the  Chair.  They  reported  what  had 
taken  place  in  their  interview  with  Lord  Knutsford.  I  had 
heard  the  particulars  before  from  Mr  Loring.  Consider- 
able progress  has  been  made,  but  it  needs  great  firmness  on 
our  part  to  prevent  the  Colonial  Office  swinging  us  all  around 
— Chamberlain  and  all.  I  was  asked  to  say  what  I  thought 
of  what  had  been  done,  and  in  order  to  give  all  present  a 
right  conception  of  the  danger  I  said,  looking  at  Mr 
Chamberlain,  "  I  am  thankful  for  what  has  been  accom- 
plished, but  I  really  see  that,  so  far,  Lord  Knutsford  has  had 
the  best  of  it."  I  then  proceeded  to  back  this  up  by  show- 
ing where  he  had  led  them  off  on  side  issues.  I  am  to  see 
Mr  C.  on  Wednesday  forenoon. 

Throughout  the  spring  months  of  this  year  the 
controversy  raged  fierce  in  the  public  press  and  in 
political  circles  regarding  the  proposed  South  African 
Chartered  Company.  The  concession  obtained  by 
Mr  Rudd  in  the  end  of  the  preceding  year  had 
been  made  the  basis  for  the  gigantic  scheme  of  Mr 
Cecil  Rhodes.  In  this  struggle  Mackenzie,  of  course, 
had  a  prominent  part ;  and  yet  he  was  conscious  all 
the  while  of  fighting  a  losing  battle,  for  Mr  Rhodes 
made  converts  from  among  his  own  best  supporters. 
They  were  not  in  the  least  conscious  of  departing 
from  the  principles  for  which  they  had  already 
worked  with  him  ;  rather  it  seemed  to  many  of  the 
best  of  them  that  this  scheme  would  go  far  to  realise 


THE  REJECTION  OF  A  PROPHET  433 

his  own  dreams.  For  how  could  the  proposed  open- 
ing up  of  the  unoccupied  territories  of  Mashonaland 
and  Matabeleland  by  means  of  the  enormous  capital 
which  it  was  proposed  to  employ,  do  aught  but  good 
in  establishing  Imperial  authority  in  South  Africa  ? 
Hard-headed,  practical  Englishmen,  to  whom  the  vast- 
ness  of  the  commercial  proposals  appealed,  seemed  to 
consider  Mackenzie's  objections  merely  academic,  and 
his  fears  groundless.  In  brief,  as  Mackenzie  after- 
wards pointed  out,  his  own  years  of  hard  labour  in 
educating  the  British  public  regarding  South  Africa 
had  prepared  the  way  for  the  Chartered  Company. 

Mackenzie  feared  for  Bechuanaland,  but  Mr  Rhodes 
assured  Mr  Albert  Grey  that  he  did  not  propose  to 
take  any  part  of  Bechuanaland.  And  Mr  Causton 
appeared  before  a  certain  philanthropic  committee  in 
London  to  assure  them  "  that  the  new  Company  had 
been  formed  mainly  in  the  interest  of  the  natives  and 
of  missionaries,  to  prevent  unprincipled  white  men 
from  going  in  and  ruining  every  one  ! " 

The  following  remarks  of  Mr  Alfred  Milner,  now 
Lord  Milner,  put  the  case  very  clearly  from  another 
point  of  view  : — 

Whatever  may  be  the  personal  sentiments  of  its 
managers,  the  force  of  circumstances  will  make  the  Company 
British.  He  must  be  a  pessimist  indeed  who  does  not  see 
that  slowly  but  surely,  and  all  the  more  surely  because  not 
with  such  fuss  and  conspicuousness  as  to  alarm  foreign 
nations,  British  influence  is  once  more  on  the  ascendant  on 
the  East  Coast  of  Africa ;  and  the  stronger  we  become  north 
of  the  Zambesi  the  more  essential  we  are  to  those  who  are 
pushing  up  to  that  river  from  the  South.  The  Cape  might 
be  separatist,  and  South  Africa  by  itself  might  be  separatist, 
but  a  South  Africa  reaching  up  to  the  Zambesi,  marching  into 
foreign  spheres  of  influence,  and  needing  the  protecting  arm  of 
Great  Britain  against  Portuguese  or  German  interference  with 
its  own  development,  will  lean  more  and  more  on  us.  I 
think  I  see  the  development  in  Rhodes  himself.    As  a  purely 

2  E 


434 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


Cape  politician  he  was  (is  perhaps)  Africander.  As  the 
author  of  enterprises  which  look  far  beyond  the  Cape  and 
the  Transvaal  and  reach  to  the  Zambesi,  and  beyond  the 
Zambesi,  he  must  know  (he  is  much  too  shrewd  not  to 
know)  that,  without  Imperial  backing,  he  is  lost. 

All  that  could  be  said  in  favour  of  this  policy, 
Mackenzie  felt  very  deeply  ;  but  his  opposition  was 
determined  upon  a  knowledge  of  South  African 
politics,  whose  real  significance  it  was  hard  to  com- 
municate even  to  the  ablest  minds  in  London.  He 
saw  that  this  movement  had  arisen  amongst  men 
whose  statesmanship  had  already  worked  confusion  in 
South  Africa.  Further,  they  were  in  sympathy  rather 
with  the  Dutch  than  the  British  spirit  in  their  treat- 
ment of  native  questions.  He  saw  also  with  great 
clearness,  in  spite  of  the  protestations  of  Mr  Rhodes 
and  the  confidence  of  those  whom  he  persuaded — 
what  subsequent  events  proved  to  be  only  too  true — 
that  the  granting  of  this  Charter  would  inevitably  lead 
to  the  absorption  of  Bechuanaland  by  Cape  Colony 
and  the  proposed  Company.  To  Mackenzie's  mind, 
as  we  have  seen  from  his  letters,  Bechuanaland  was 
the  key  to  the  Imperial  position  in  South  Africa.  If 
Great  Britain  would  seize  that  region,  and  under  direct 
Imperial  control  make  of  it  a  great  Crown  Colony,  the 
British  position  in  South  Africa  would  be  placed 
beyond  all  danger,  either  from  a  military  or  a  political 
point  of  view. 

And  last,  but  not  least,  Mackenzie  held  the  pro- 
found conviction  that  the  future  of  South  Africa 
would  be  one  thing,  if  its  great  native  populations 
were  placed  under  Imperial  administration,  and 
another  thing  if  they  were  left  to  be  controlled  solely 
by  the  class  of  Europeans  who  held  sway  at  that 
time  in  her  States  and  Colonies.  If  the  British  South 
Africa  Company  succeeded  in  shaping  South  African 
politics  so  that  direct  Imperial  authority  over  these 


THE  REJECTION  OF  A  PROPHET  435 


native  regions  should  be  destroyed,  the  future  which 
he  saw  was  dismal  and  dark  indeed. 

As  early  as  July,  Mr  Albert  Grey,  now  Lord  Grey, 
wrote  to  Mackenzie  to  say  that  after  considerable 
hesitation  he  had  agreed  to  accept  a  post  on  the 
directorate  of  the  new  Chartered  Company. 

"  I  should  have  preferred,  with  you,"  he  said,  a  bolder 
Imperial  policy,  but  as  this  is  evidently  beyond  the  thoughts 
and  intentions  of  the  present  government,  and  as  they  have 
made  up  their  minds  to  grant  Rhodes  a  charter,  it  is,  I  think, 
desirable  that  one  like  myself  who  is  in  close  sympathy  with 
you  and  the  South  African  Committee,  should  be  upon  the 
Board.  I  am  very  hopeful  that  the  action  of  this  Company 
may  prove  instrumental  in  developing  and  stimulating  in  a 
very  great  degree  Imperial  interests  in  South  Africa." 

Late  in  the  session  of  the  House  of  Commons,  and 
at  the  end  of  a  long  sitting,  with  a  minimum  of  dis- 
cussion, the  momentous  step  was  taken  of  passing 
a  bill  which  granted  a  royal  charter  to  the  British 
South  Africa  Company.  This  act  empowered  the 
Company  to  negotiate  for  and  accept  from  native 
chiefs  in  Matabeleland  and  Mashonaland  the  right  to 
exercise  jurisdiction  in  those  territories. 

During  the  summer  of  this  year  (1889)  the  Govern- 
ment had  also  sent  out  a  new  High  Commissioner 
and  Governor  of  Cape  Colony  in  the  person  of  Sir 
Henry  Loch.  Sir  Henry  Loch  was  a  man  of  strong 
character  and  great  experience,  as  well  as  firm 
integrity.  One  of  the  shrewdest  of  South  African 
newspaper  editors  said  of  him,  that  his  character 
was  so  high  that  he  would  probably  find  it  necessary 
to  resign  his  position  before  the  completion  of  his 
term  of  office  ;  and  this  prophecy  was  fulfilled.  But 
he  went  out  before  the  charter  was  given  to  the 
British  South  Africa  Company,  and  began  his  work 
at  Cape  Town  before  the  complications  arose  which 
that  charter  created  even  there. 


436 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


After  the  autumn  holidays  Mackenzie  undertook 
to  write  an  article  on  South  African  affairs,  at  the 
request  of  the  editor  of  The  Contemporary  Review. 
This  article  appeared  in  the  November  number  of 
that  periodical,  and  extended  to  twenty-four  pages. 
While  it  reviewed  past  history  and  political  events, 
the  most  important  portion  was  contained  in  the 
last  ten  pages,  where  he  discussed  the  granting  of 
the  charter  to  the  British  South  Africa  Company ; 
and  this  not  in  any  carping  spirit,  but  by  way  of 
accounting  for  the  fact  that  the  charter  had  been 
given  at  a  time  when  every  one  believed  chartered 
companies  to  be  an  obsolete  method  of  Imperial 
administration,  and  by  way  of  warning  the  British 
public  that  it  would  be  a  gross  injustice  to  extend 
the  authority  of  this  Company  to  Bechuanaland.  He 
also  discussed  the  necessity  for  the  construction  of  a 
railway  through  Bechuanaland.  The  last  section  of 
the  article  is  entitled  "  Imperial  administration  prior 
to  local  self-government,"  in  which  the  case  for  the 
South  African  High  Commissionership  of  a  true  kind 
was  stated  with  exceptional  clearness  and  vivacity. 

During  the  autumn  Mackenzie  also  undertook  a 
series  of  deputation  services  and  addresses  on  behalf 
of  the  London  Missionary  Society.  He  arranged  to 
give  a  public  address  in  November  at  Manchester, 
upon  the  "Native  Races  and  Liquor  Traffic  Com- 
mission," and  at  Liverpool  before  the  Chamber  of 
Commerce.  But  ere  these  engagements  could  be 
fulfilled,  he  was  stricken  suddenly  at  Berwick-on- 
Tweed.  This  occurred  on  Sunday  morning,  November 
24th,  as  he  was  concluding  a  public  service  in  church. 
It  was  towards  the  end  of  his  sermon  that,  as  he 
afterwards  described  it,  he  suddenly  felt  as  if  a 
thousand  needles  were  being  driven  rapidly  into  the 
back  of  his  neck.  The  pain  was  excruciating,  but 
with  marvellous  self-mastery  he  brought  the  sermon 


THE  REJECTION  OF  A  PROPHET  437 


quietly  to  an  end,  offered  prayer,  gave  out  a  hymn, 
and  pronounced  the  benediction.  When  he  reached 
the  vestry  he  collapsed.  The  physician  who  attended 
him  immediately  said  that  the  effort  he  made  after 
the  stroke,  had  worked  more  mischief  than  all  the 
preceding  anxieties  and  labours  which  had  brought 
it  on. 

Mackenzie  had  been  literally  giving  his  life  without 
grudging  and  without  stint  for  the  good  of  South 
Africa.  Naturally  a  man  of  strong  constitution,  who 
had  hardly  known  a  day's  illness  for  thirty  years, 
he  had  brought  this  upon  himself  simply  by  carrying 
upon  his  heart  the  burdens  of  the  races,  both  black 
and  white,  whose  struggles  he  had  watched  and  over 
whose  future  he  had  agonised. 

His  engagements  were  all  immediately  cancelled, 
and  he  went  down  to  Portobello,  where  absolute 
rest  was  prescribed  for  several  months.  But  it  was 
easier  for  him  to  rest  by  doing  something.  It  was 
a  relief  to  him  to  be  able  to  write  an  occasional 
article  for  the  Leeds  Mercury  or  The  Scotsman  ;  and 
this  he  did.  As  helping  to  understand  the  amount 
of  labour  which  he  performed  this  year,  it  ought  to 
be  recorded  that  Mackenzie  had  undertaken  the  proof 
reading  for  a  reprint  of  the  Sechuana  Bible ;  and 
that  he  had  expended  much  energy  and  anxious 
thought  over  an  elaborate  correspondence  with  the 
Government  regarding  the  rights  of  the  London 
Missionary  Society  to  the  ownership  of  the  fountain 
at  Kuruman  in  Bechuanaland.  This  ownership  was 
being  contested  largely  out  of  hatred  of  the  Society 
and  of  some  of  its  promoters  ;  and  the  victory  was 
won  by  the  Society,  which  had  done  so  much  for 
South  Africa,  not  without  very  great  exertions  and 
some  bitter  experiences. 

It  may  also  be  recorded  that  several  of  Mackenzie's 
South  African  correspondents  called  his  attention  at 


438 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


this  time  (1889)  to  the  extraordinary  manner  in 
which  President  Kruger  had  begun  to  supply  the 
burghers  of  the  Transvaal  with  guns  and  ammunition. 
Men  who  knew  the  facts  told  him  of  the  resolution 
of  the  Transvaal  Government  to  see  that  this  dis- 
tribution of  the  best  weapons  was  quietly  but  effec- 
tively carried  out,  and  the  way  in  which  it  was  done. 

During  this  year,  then,  the  British  Government 
made  its  momentous  choice,  from  which  many  of  its 
subsequent  relations  to  the  South  African  States  and 
Colonies  may  be  traced  as  with  relentless  logic  down 
to  the  year  1899.  It  decided  many  things  when  it 
resolved  to  grant  a  charter  to  the  British  South 
Africa  Company,  and  refused  to  separate  the  office 
of  High  Commissioner  for  South  Africa  from  that 
of  Governor  of  the  Cape  Colony.  To  secure  this 
separation  and  prevent  that  grant,  Mackenzie  had  in 
vain  employed  all  the  resources  of  argument  and 
agitation,  almost  to  the  breaking  of  his  heart.  His 
prophecy  was  rejected  ;  and  Great  Britain  gave  South 
African  history  over  to  be  directed  for  well-nigh  ten 
years,  by  those  personalities  who  received  from  her 
hands  that  charter  and  those  undivided  offices.  What 
they  made  of  it  we  now  know.  But  that  prophet 
described  its  gloom  to  an  unbelieving  people  in  1889. 


CHAPTER  XVII 


ENGLAND — THE  SAVING  OF  BECHUANALAND 
(189O-1891) 

When  Mackenzie  returned  to  active  work  in  February 
1890,  his  plan  of  campaign,  along  with  the  ever  faith- 
ful members  of  the  South  African  Committee,  was  to 
make  sure  now  of  the  union  of  North  and  Sotith 
Bechuanaland  under  Imperial  administration  as  a 
Crown  Colony.  Much  work  was  also  given  to 
prevent  the  cession  of  Swaziland  to  the  Transvaal, 
on  conditions  which  President  Kruger  was  most 
sedulously  urging.  It  is  unnecessary  to  enter  into 
detail  upon  the  latter  question  and  to  describe  the 
kind  of  pressure  which  was  brought  to  bear  upon 
the  Government  to  meet  President  Kruger's  wishes. 

On  February  19th,  Mackenzie  lectured  before  the 
Liverpool  Chamber  of  Commerce,  and  addressed  the 
Constitutional  Club  in  London  in  the  month  of  May. 
In  that  month  also  he  was  invited  to  take  part  in 
a  deputation  to  the  King  of  Belgium,  who  was  on  a 
visit  to  London.  The  following  extract  from  a  letter 
of  the  Rev.  J.  Grant  Mills,  Secretary  of  the  Association 
which  sent  this  deputation  to  the  Belgium  King,  is  of 
biographical  interest.  Mr  Grant  Mills  had  been 
negotiating  with  Count  d'Outremont : — 

I  saw  the  Count,  to  whom  I  repeated  the  contents  of  your 
letter.  He  then  went  on  to  the  King  and  returned  with  a 
message,  and  said  that  the  King  would  be  pleased  to  receive 
myself  and  two  others,  one  of  whom  was  to  be  yourself,  from 
the  Congregational  Union.  The  King  specially  mentioned 
you.    Count  d'Outremont  said  that  the  King  was  specially 

439 


440 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


anxious  to  meet  experts  who  knew  Africa,  and  that  therefore 
His  Majesty  had  expressed  a  desire  that  you  should  come. 

Throughout  the  summer  his  work  continued  with 
great  activity,  although  there  is  not  much  that  need 
be  recorded,  since  it  so  much  resembles  what  we  have 
already  described. 

On  July  I  5th  he  writes  to  one  of  his  sons  : — 

I  am  not  without  some  encouragement  in  my  work.  You 
would  see,  an  order  in  Council  has  been  published  giving 
certain  powers  in  North  Bechuanaland  to  the  Governor  of 
Bechuanaland,  Sir  H.  B.  Loch,  under  the  foreign  Juris- 
diction Acts.  It  was  under  these  Acts  that  I  began  opera- 
tions in  1884.  They  were  found  to  be  quite  unsuitable  and 
inadequate.  And  yet  they  will  again  take  up  with  them 
rather  than  do  things  in  a  business  way.  But  it  shows  they 
have  seen  the  necessity  of  some  movement.  And  the  next 
thing  will  be,  or  ought  to  be,  the  establishment  of  the 
Queen's  sovereignty  and  administration.  Then  my  present 
work  will  be  over     May  God  graciously  hasten  this. 

After  the  holidays  he  had  various  public  engage- 
ments, amongst  which  was  the  delivery  of  a  lecture 
before  the  South  Place  Ethical  Society,  one  Sunday 
morning,  on  "  Systems  of  Tribal  Policy  in  South 
Africa." 

About  this  time  Mackenzie  performed  an  act  whose 
moral  value  can  hardly  be  ignored.  He  had  seen 
announced  in  the  public  press  a  route  by  which  the 
pioneer  forces  of  the  British  South  Africa  Company 
intended  to  enter  Mashonaland.  The  route  chosen 
by  them  was  apparently  the  easiest  and  most  direct, 
but  it  had  been  marked  out  by  men  who,  knowing  in 
general  the  geography  of  those  regions,  must  have 
known  little  or  nothing  of  their  political  situation. 
Mackenzie  was  absolutely  convinced  that  if  the 
pioneers  travelled  on  that  road  they  would  be 
massacred  by  the  Matabele.  The  Company  would 
be,  if  not  crushed,  at  least  dishonoured  at  the  very 
beginning  of  its  history.    As  he  said  afterwards,  he 


THE  SAVING  OF  BECHUANALAND  441 


could  not  "bear  to  think  of  all  those  fine  young 
Englishmen  being  speared  some  night"  by  the 
terrible  Matabele,  whom  he  knew  so  well.  Mackenzie 
at  once  saw  his  duty,  and  without  hesitation  did  it. 
He  sat  down  and  wrote  to  Lord  Knutsford,  and  also 
to  Lord  Salisbury,  giving  in  detail  the  facts  which 
convinced  him  of  the  extreme  danger  which  would  bis 
incurred  by  the  British  South  Africa  Company  if  they 
journeyed  on  the  route  announced  in  the  papers  ;  and 
more  than  that,  he  carefully  marked  out  the  direction 
in  which  it  would  be  safe  for  the  pioneers  to  proceed 
from  Bechuanaland  into  Mashonaland,  naming  the 
places  at  which  water  could  be  obtained,  and  the 
reasons  why  Matabele  prejudices  would  not  be 
insulted,  nor  their  fears  be  excited  if  this  route 
were  adopted.  With  immense  satisfaction  he  saw 
shortly  afterwards  an  announcement  in  the  papers, 
that  the  leaders  of  the  expedition  had  seen  reason 
to  change  their  plans,  and  had  resolved  upon  a  new 
road  into  their  territory,  this  being  the  one  which 
Mackenzie  had  marked  out  for  them. 

The  following  letter  to  the  Secretary  of  the 
Company  will  further  illustrate  Mackenzie's  spirit, 
and  the  attitude  which  he  assumed  towards  the 
Company  when  once  it  had  been  established  and 
formed  part  of  the  life  of  South  Africa.  The  letter 
makes  reference  to  a  further  memorandum  which  he 
had  recently  sent  to  Lord  Salisbury  regarding 
Walvisch  Bay  and  its  importance  to  Great  Britain  : — 

II  Queen  Square, 
London,  30//^  Jan.  1891. 

The  Secretary  of  the  British  South  Africa  Company. 

Dear  Sir, — I  enclose,  for  the  information  of  your 
Board  of  Directors,  a  copy  of  a  memorandum  which  I  recently 
sent  to  Her  Majesty's  Secretary  of  State  for  Foreign  Affairs. 
I  daresay  it  is  within  your  knowledge  that  before  your 


442 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


Company  obtained  its  charter  I  advocated  instead  Imperial 
control. 

Since  the  granting  of  the  charter,  however,  I  have  conceived 
it  to  be  my  duty  to  accept  the  decision  of  Her  Majesty's 
Government  thus  practically  come  to,  and  to  render  any 
assistance  in  my  power  to  the  peaceful  opening  up  of  the 
country  by  the  Company,  as,  for  instance,  by  suggesting  the 
best  route  for  the  Company's  pioneers  to  take  in  order  to 
enter  Mashonaland  without  fighting. 

The  enclosed  memorandum  has  reference  to  the  next 
important  question  in  the  development  of  Mashonaland  and 
neighbouring  countries — the  question  of  the  best  route  to 
England. 

Physical  geography  really  answers  the  question.  The  Cape 
Colony  railway  and  the  other  north-going  South  African  rail- 
ways will  play  an  important  and  indispensable  part  in  the 
development  of  South  Africa,  but  the  route  forced  on  the 
attention  of  the  pioneers  in  Mashonaland  is  one  which  will 
minimise  the  expense  and  time  of  transit.  The  first  answer 
to  that  is,  the  route  via  Pungwe  River,  but  the  final  and 
permanent  answer  is  a  railway  across  Africa  from  Walvisch 
Bay  to  Pungwe  River  or  Zambesi  River.  Via  Walvisch  Bay 
your  traveller  would  have  some  2000  miles  less  to  travel 
than  by  any  other  route. — I  remain,  ever  yours  sincerely, 

John  Mackenzie. 

Mr  Albert  Grey  wrote  to  Mackenzie  concerning 
this  letter,  and  the  memorandum  to  which  it  referred, 
as  follows  :-— 

The  Duke  of  Fife  has  been  greatly  interested  by  your 
private  letter  to  me,  as  well  as  by  your  admirable  memor- 
andum, which  has  been  copied  out  and  forwarded  to  every 
member  of  our  Board.  ...  I  much  look  forward  to  having 
a  talk  with  you  about  the  various  problems  for  Imperial 
administration  in  South  Africa,  which  you  have  so  nearly  at 
heart,  and  which  possess  my  fullest  sympathy. 

On  February  2nd  Mackenzie  sent  another  letter 
to  Lord  Knutsford,  calling  his  attention  to  the 
memorandum  concerning  Walvisch  Bay,  and  then 
dealing  very  carefully  with  the  problem  of  Bechuana- 
land.    This  he  now  felt  to  be  the  final   piece  of 


THE  SAVING  OF  BECHUANALAND  443 


work  which  he  had  to  accomplish — the  securing  of 
an  Imperial  administration  for  North  Bechuana- 
land.  The  heart  of  his  proposal,  and  his  deep 
earnestness  about  it,  are  revealed  in  the  concluding 
paragraphs  of  his  letter  : — 

II  Queen  Square, 
7.nd  Feb.  1890. 

Everything  points  to  a  consolidation  of  British  administra- 
tion in  Bechuanaland  for  some  time  to  come,  and  not  to  the 
giving  up  of  our  position  there. 

The  expense  of  this  course  will  not  be  increased  by  includ- 
ing North  Bechuanaland  under  British  sovereignty,  because  I 
would  contemplate  obtaining  from  the  Chiefs  a  cession  of 
lands  unoccupied  and  unneeded  by  them,  which  would  be  a 
source  of  revenue,  and  in  the  course  of  time,  notwithstanding 
past  failure,  I  should  hope  to  secure  from  them  direct  assist- 
ance by  some  form  of  tax.  Their  confidence,  which  has  been 
impaired,  would,  of  course,  need  to  be  regained,  and  this 
would  take  time.  But  there  is  only  one  other  course,  sooner 
or  later,  that  of  the  Hollander  Editor  of  the  Zuid  Afrikaan 
newspaper,  which  he  would  wish  to  pass  off  as  the  view  of  the 
Colony — to  fight  them  and  break  them  up,  and  make  them 
for  ever  our  enemies  in  their  hearts. 

Forgive  a  too  long  letter.  I  am  sure  you  will  not  misunder- 
stand it.  The  responsibility  of  a  very  important  decision  will 
largely  rest  on  your  Lordship.  I  have  taken  the  liberty  in 
these  lines  to  tender  advice,  which  I  believe  would  lead  to  peace- 
ful development  and  good  understanding  between  natives  and 
Europeans  of  all  nationalities.  I  am  thankful  that  Sir  Henry 
Loch  comes  to  this  country  to  consult  with  Her  Majesty's 
Government,  after  the  personal  acquaintance  which  he  has 
now  made  with  both  South  and  North  Bechuanaland. 

This  letter  to  Lord  Knutsford  was  described  in  the 
following  way  to  Mr  Chamberlain,  to  whom  he  also 
announced  the  fact  that  he  felt  his  own  task  of  agita- 
tion approaching  its  close. 

II  Queen  Square, 
London,  -zoth  Feb.  1891. 

Dear  Mr  Chamberlain, — I  take  the  liberty  to  enclose  a 
copy  of  a  letter  which  I  sent  to  Lord  Knutsford  a  short  time 
ago.   I  was  impressed  with  the  very  great  responsibility  which 


444  JOHN  MACKENZIE 


rested  on  him  at  this  time,  and  wrote  to  him  under  that  feel- 
ing. I  shall  be  glad  if  you  will  return  it  after  you  have  had 
time  to  look  it  over. 

Lord  Knutsford,  in  reply,  said  what  I  had  written  would 
secure  attention  from  him  and  from  Sir  Henry  Loch  in 
their  consultations,  and  afterwards  from  Her  Majesty's 
Government. 

I  would  not  gather  from  Sir  Henry  Loch  that  he  was 
opposed  to  our  views,  although,  of  course,  he  is  duly 
reserved.  I  trust  you  will  do  what  you  can  in  this  matter. 
If  you  do  this,  I  am  sure  your  judgment  and  wish  would 
go  a  great  way.  There  is  also  another  result  of  your  exert- 
ing yourself  in  behalf  of  a  righteous  course  as  to  Bechuana- 
land,  and  it  is  this,  that  if  British  administration  is  estabUshed 
in  Khame's  country,  as  in  South  Bechuanaland,  I  shall  regard 
the  work  as  accomplished  which  I  came  over  here  to  help  in  ; 
and  thus  you  see,  there  would  be  some  prospect  of  my  ceas- 
ing to  trouble  you  about  Bechuanaland. 

The  Missionary  Society  for  some  time  past  has  been 
urging  me  to  go  back  to  its  service  again — not  in  Bechuana- 
land. I  replied  then  that  I  would  go  nowhere  till  I  saw 
this  through,  and  now  I  trust  it  may  please  God  to  help  the 
poor  duffers  of  natives  in  North  Bechuanaland,  by  getting 
them  again  to  place  full  confidence  in  us,  to  go  back  to  a 
clearly  defined  arrangement  with  Her  Majesty's  Government, 
such  as  that  of  1885,  and  thus  secure  them  their  holdings  by 
an  Imperial  title,  which  would  bring  real  peace  to  the  country. 

I  have  no  reason  to  suppose  that  you  do  wish  to  be  freed 
from  studying  the  Bechuanaland  question ;  on  the  contrary,  I 
think  you  have  a  real  interest  in  South  African  questions,  and 
personally  I  have  much  reason  to  be  thankful  for  your  sym- 
pathy, advice,  and  assistance. 

I  have  never  before  referred  to  my  own  affairs,  or  mixed 
them  up  with  what  I  have  regarded  as  my  duty  to  others.  I 
only  know  that  if  British  administration  is  extended  to  North 
Bechuanaland  I  shall  have  brought  about  what  I  came  over 
to  help  in,  and  be  free  to  look  out  earnestly  and  thought- 
fully as  to  what  bit  of  work  I  can  next  do  before  I  become  an 
old  man. 

Mr  Chamberlain  replied  in  a  reassuring  manner  in 
a  personal  interview,  which  Mackenzie  described  to  his 
wife  as  follows  : — 


THE  SAVING  OF  BECHUANALAND  445 


II  Queen  Square,  W.C., 
<^th  March  1891. 

I  looked  up  Mr  Chamberlain  this  morning,  and  had  a  short 
interview.    He  assures  me  on  the  following  points  : — 

1.  He  is  to  be  consulted  by  Lord  Knutsford  before,  and 
not  after,  they  form  their  policy. 

2.  No  annexation  to  the  Cape  Colony.  There  might  be 
a  rectification  of  the  Northern  Border  of  the  Cape  Colony.  I 
said  this  was  nonsense ;  that  meant  the  annexation  of  the 
Bechuanaland  Colony  to  the  Cape  Colony.  No ;  he  did  not 
understand  that  at  all — only  a  small  addition  to  put  right  the 
boundary  line.  I  said  that  was  a  mistake,  the  boundary  line 
was  put  down  by  Moysey,  an  Imperial  ofificer,  and  afterwards 
ratified  by  the  Cape  Colony. 

3.  He  also  assured  me  that  no  annexation  would  take  place 
without  consulting  the  wishes  of  the  natives.  My  visit  was 
unannounced,  but  I  hope  good  will  come  of  it. 

I  ventured  to  remind  him  that  the  special  position  of 
honour  which  he  had  occupied  in  recent  festivities  and 
hospitalities,  owing  to  his  position  generally,  but  specially 
owing  to  the  interest  which  he  had  taken  in  South  African 
affairs,  showed  the  appreciation  of  his  position  which  others 
held.  It  was  for  him,  therefore,  to  see  that  in  other  ways 
that  position  and  those  views  were  recognized  and  deferred 
to,  that  he  did  not  make  things  too  cheap. 

"  When  all  this  Company-mongering  is  over,  the  history  of 
the  country  will  show  that  ours  is  the  true  policy  to  pursue," 
I  assured  him.  "  I  want  you  to  be  more  militant  than  you 
have  lately  been,"  I  added.  "  I  am  afraid  that  steps  may  be 
taken  which  will  make  all  such  interference  and  advice  too 
late." 

"  I  don't  know,  however,  that  I  want  to  be  more  militant 
at  present,"  he  said.  "  In  any  case  I  must  think  the  matter 
over." 

We  had  some  more  talk  to  the  same  effect.  I  wish  I 
could  make  him  more  earnest  about  this  matter.  He  is  a 
clever  man,  and  one  who  would  not  give  up  a  point  if  once 
he  gave  adhesion  to  it. 

"Oh,  Mr  Rhodes  is  more  taken  up  with  an  Imperial 
Zollverein  than  anything  else  at  present." 

I  replied,  "  I  don't  think  so  at  all,  but  he  would  be  de- 
lighted if  he  could  set  you  all  a-thinking  about  a  Zollverein  and 


446 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


Imperial  Federation,  etc.,  while  he  practically  advances  the 
Cape  Colony  northward  in  South  Africa.  His  object,  in 
short,  is  to  remove  the  consideration  of  South  African  sub- 
jects from  London  to  Cape  Town.  Do  you  agree  to  that  ? 
Remember  it  is  Africa — a  Continent.  Surely  Britain  will 
not  let  itself  be  excluded  from  presiding  over  its  affairs  till 
it  can  hand  these  affairs  over  to  a  local  Confederation." 

"  I  quite  agree  that  what  must  be  worked  for,  and  what  we 
may  expect,  is  a  Confederation." 

"  If  everybody  is  pleased  and  willing  to  transmit  the 
management  of  the  whole  thing  to  the  Cape  Colony, 
Cape  Town  and  not  London  would  be  the  place  where  a 
man  like  myself  would  have  to  seek  to  establish  influence 
and  sound  opinion." 

I  left  him  with  the  idea  that  I  had  made  some  impression. 
I  should  not  perhaps  have  gone,  nor  should  I  have  spoken 
so  strongly,  but  for  a  note  from  Sir  Fowell  Buxton,  in  which 
he  seems  to  be  inclined  to  give  everything  up  to  ''local 
management." 

We  had  a  long  chat  —  a  serious  one  —  in  the  smoking- 
room  of  No.  1 1  last  night ;  an  American  Colonel,  an  old 
East  Indian,  a  Liverpool  young  man,  and  myself. 

"Young  Mr  Lincoln,"  the  American  Minister,  called  for 
the  American  family  yesterday.  He  is  not  so  lankey  as  the 
pictures  of  his  father.  J.  M. 

Mr  Chamberlain  appears  to  have  immediately 
w^ritten  to  Mackenzie  another  letter,  to  w^hich  the 
latter  replied  as  follows  : — 

London,  March  ii,  1891. 
Dear  Mr  Chamberlain, — Many  thanks  for  your  note, 
which  is  reassuring.  I  cannot  but  await  with  great  anxiety 
the  outcome  of  a  policy  which  is  touched  on,  with  reference 
to  a  country  in  which  I  have  spent  a  great  part  of  my  life.  .  .  . 
I  cannot  forget  that  the  entrance  into  Bechuanaland  by  the 
British  Government  has  been  the  cause  of  our  revived  influence 
throughout  South  Africa,  just  as  the  holding  by  tlie  administra- 
tion of  that  country  now  by  the  British  Government  will  prove 
itself  the  key  to  the  complete  and  lasting  establishment  of  our 
influence  in  South  Africa  generally.  This  is  the  crucial  step, 
leading  to  a  future  confederation  of  the  various  European 
governments,  instead  of  the  haphazard  muddle  to  which  the 


THE  SAVING  OF  BECHUANALAND  447 


growth  of  the  Cape  Colony  must  lead.  I  beg  your  continued 
interest  in  a  matter  which  the  future  will  amply  show  is  one 
of  supreme  importance. 

It  soon  became  apparent  that  the  Government  was 
being  gradually  driven,  by  the  logic  of  facts  and  the 
urgent  appeals  of  Mackenzie  and  the  various  members 
of  the  South  African  Committee,  to  take  some 
momentous  step  with  regard  to  North  Bechuanaland, 
for,  of  all  portions  of  Austral  Africa  south  of  the 
Zambesi,  that  alone  remained  without  some  definite 
form  of  civilised  government.  But  as  Mackenzie  saw 
the  close  of  his  long  work  approaching,  there  neces- 
sarily arose  in  his  mind  the  question  of  his  own 
future.  This  indeed  had  already  been  raised  for  him 
by  the  Directors  of  the  London  Missionary  Society, 
who  for  a  number  of  months  had  been  negotiating 
with  him.  Their  final  proposal  was  that  he  should 
go  out  in  their  service  to  the  mission  station  of 
Hankey  in  Cape  Colony,  about  fifty  miles  west  of 
Port  Elizabeth.  As  all  their  other  important  stations 
were  at  this  time  occupied,  and  they  had  very 
urgent  reasons  for  wishing  to  set  a  strong  man  to 
work  at  Hankey,  this  remained  as  the  only  definite 
prospect  that  they  could  hold  out  to  him.  The 
following  extracts  are  from  a  letter  to  his  wife  when 
these  negotiations  began,  and  serve  to  show  the  spirit 
in  which  he  faced  the  task  proposed  to  him. 

Manchester,  17//^  Oct.  1890. 

I  sent  you  a  copy  of  the  Weekly  Times  with  that  reference 
from  their  Mashonaland  correspondent. 

I  have  now  received,  before  leaving  London,  the  formal 
request  of  the  Directors  that  I  go  to  Hankey,  which  I 
enclose. 

It  is  to  start  on  a  new  kind  of  life ;  new  languages,  and  in 
a  part  of  the  country  with  which  I  have  had  no  connection. 

The  man  who  goes  there  can  be  of  no  use — or  very  little 
use — in  general  South  African  affairs.    Were  I  to  go  there 


448  JOHN  MACKENZIE 


I  should  simply  give  myself  to  the  work  there,  and  to 
nothing  else.    It  would  amount  to  that. 

I  don't  know  how  it  might  turn  out,  but  Thompson's  im- 
pression decidedly  was,  that  the  place  would  have,  in  the 
end,  to  be  disposed  of,  and  the  people  be  left  to  Colonial 
life  in  its  general  bearings,  as  has  been  done  on  other 
institutions  already.  I  don't  know  if  he  was  right  in  this 
surmise,  but  understood  from  him  that  this  might  turn  out 
part  of  my  duties. 

So  far  as  my  thoughts  and  sense  of  personal  duty  go, 
they  don't  lead  me  to  Hankey  at  all.  They  have  to  do  with 
my  work  elsewhere  in  South  Africa. 

I  have  often  said  to  you  that  if  I  had  ever  so  much 
money  I  could  not  have  been  better  placed  than  I  have 
been  over  here,  to  do  my  work,  and  that  I  was  where  I 
felt  I  ought  to  be  in  the  meantime.  I  have  no  such  feeling 
about  going  to  Hankey.  I  should  go  there  because  I  was 
unable  to  refuse  to  go  at  the  Society's  request,  on  account 
of  money-obligation  to  them. 

I  take  it  for  granted,  however,  that  they  will  not  ask  me 
to  go  away  right  off,  while  the  destination  of  Bechuanaland 
is  undecided,  and  may  be  said  to  be  now  under  considera- 
tion, owing  to  the  personal  visit  of  Sir  H.  Loch  to  that 
country.  If  that  is  settled,  in  whatever  way,  I  shall  prepare 
myself  to  obey  the  Directors,  and  go  and  do  my  best  at 
Hankey.  I  have  already  stated  to  Mr  Thompson's  clerk — 
he  was  out — that  I  took  it  for  granted  they  meant  me  to 
remain  and  see  this  out  after  Loch's  report. 

Also,  I  asked  that  I  should  be  completely  free  from 
Deputation  work,  so  that  I  might  give  my  time  to  the 
finishing  of  the  Sechuana  Scriptures. 

This  is  how  the  matter  stands.  I  cannot  say  that  I 
change  the  whole  bent  of  my  life  and  thought  and  work, 
so  far  done — and  more  of  it  being  done — to  devote  myself 
to  the  settlement  of  the  affairs  of  Hankey. 

I  believe  that  He  whom  we  serve  will  guide  us  at  this 
time.  He  will  open  up  our  way.  What  I  feel  is  that  I 
must  be  perfectly  open-minded  and  above  board  all  round, 
so  that  there  can  be  no  misunderstanding. 

If  Bechuanaland  is  settled  and  disposed  of,  my  sense  of 
obligation  to  the  Society  would  send  me  to  Hankey,  and  I 
am  not  at  all  insensible  to  what  might  be  done  there.  Not 
at  all.    Let  us  wait  on  God,  and  look  to  Him. 


THE  SAVING  OF  BECHUANALAND  449 

Since  the  date  of  this  letter,  he  had  learned  much 
more  concerning  Hankey,  and  it  had  begun  to  occupy 
a  distinct  place  in  his  imagination  of  the  future. 
Nevertheless,  it  can  hardly  be  said  that  his  heart  as 
yet  went  out  to  Hankey  with  anything  of  eager 
anticipation.  He  was  still  deeply  immersed  in  the 
larger  problems  of  Imperialism  in  South  Africa.  He 
everywhere  makes  it  plain  in  his  correspondence  that 
his  own  desires  went  out  towards  some  form  of 
administrative  work.  In  the  course  of  his  many 
and  earnest  discussions  with  Mr  Chamberlain,  as  well 
as  with  Sir  Robert  Herbert,  this  subject  naturally 
arose.  At  last,  in  the  course  of  an  important  con- 
versation regarding  Bechuanaland  and  its  approaching 
political  settlement,  Mackenzie  was  led  to  say  to  Sir 
Robert  Herbert  that  he  was  willing  to  put  himself  at 
the  service  of  the  Government,  if  they  had  any  work 
for  him  to  do.  This  step  Mr  Chamberlain  very 
warmly  approved.  Sir  Robert  Herbert  and  Lord 
Knutsford  both  received  it  with  apparent  cordiality 
and  good-will. 

These  conversations  resulted  in  his  sending  to  Lord 
Knutsford  the  following  letter  : — 

1 1  Queen  Square,  W.C.,  London, 
2\st  April  1 891. 

Dear  Lord  Knutsford, — I  learn  with  great  pleasure 
that  Her  Majesty's  Government  contemplate  an  extension 
of  Imperial  administration  in  the  Protectorate,  and  in 
Khame's  country.  I  think  your  Lordship  is  aware  that  I 
was  so  impressed  with  the  necessity  for  taking  this  step  that 
I  came  over  to  England  to  do  all  that  a  private  individual 
could,  to  remove  misapprehensions  and  to  give  correct  in- 
formation concerning  a  country  which  had  been  offered  to 
us  on  very  favourable  terms  by  its  native  owners. 

In  view  of  the  step  on  which  Her  Majesty's  Government 
has  resolved,  I  am  prepared  very  gladly  to  resign  the  work 
of  writing,  lecturing,  and  teaching  geography,  etc.,  etc.,  in 
which  I  have  been  engaged.    I  feel  sure  that  my  humble 

2  F 


450 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


efforts  have  not  been  altogether  without  result,  and  that, 
with  the  efforts  of  other  and  more  influential  people,  public 
opinion  in  this  country  will  earnestly  support  Her  Majesty's 
Government  in  this  movement  northward. 

The  question  then  arises  to  me,  what  to  do  next  ?  and 
the  answer  of  my  judgment,  as  well  as  of  my  inclination 
would  be  to  assist  (if  I  might)  in  carrying  out  the  work  of 
native  administration  in  South  Africa,  which  will  now  occupy 
the  attention  of  Her  Majesty's  Government  for  some  time 
to  come.  While  fully  alive  to  the  difficulties  of  this  work, 
I  should  hope  to  be  able  to  render  some  assistance  in 
overcoming  them,  and  I  cherish  the  hope  and  expectation 
that,  with  our  growing  knowledge  of  the  country  and  the 
people,  and  the  natives'  increasing  knowledge  of  us  and 
your  objects,  the  difificulties  of  the  present  would  gradually 
lessen,  and  in  the  end  disappear. 

When  I  have  mentioned  this  state  of  mind  to  friends, 
it  has  given  them  great  satisfaction  as  to  the  proposed 
action  of  Government,  and  also  because,  as  they  are  pleased 
to  say,  they  feel  sure  that  I  can  be  of  service  out  there ; 
and  it  was  Mr  Chamberlain  that  suggested  that  I  should 
address  your  Lordship  on  the  subject. 

The  first  important  work  that  arises  out  of  our  movement 
northward,  would  be  to  come  to  a  good  understanding  with 
the  Chiefs  of  North  Bechuanaland  with  reference  to  this 
movement.  To  be  of  any  real  use  in  North  Bechuanaland 
the  Imperial  Government  must  be  able  to  control  the 
settlement  of  vacant  lands.  Could  this  power  be  again 
obtained  from  the  Chiefs,  as  in  1885?  Circumstances 
have  no  doubt  taken  place  since  which  render  this  very 
difficult.  But  success  is  not  hopeless,  and  I  am  willing 
to  attempt  this  at  the  request  of  Her  Majesty's  Government. 
It  has  been  suggested  to  me  that  I  should  mention  in 
what  capacity  I  would  propose  to  attempt  this  work. 

I.  Harking  back  to  former  experience,  one  way  would 
be  that  I  should  go  to  North  Bechuanaland  as  I  did  to 
South  Bechuanaland,  as  Deputy  Commissioner,  under  the 
High  Commissioner.  I  think  it  well  to  add  that,  in  my 
judgment,  it  would  be  necessary  that  this  Deputy  Com- 
missionership  should  be  unconnected  officially  with  the 
Government  of  South  Bechuanaland.  Owing  to  the  past 
history  of  the  Protectorate,  this  would  be  the  only  practicable, 
not  to  say  the  only  pleasant,  method  for  all  parties.  Of 


THE  SAVING  OF  BECHUANALAND  451 


course  I  should  be  anxious  to  enter  the  country  on  the 
most  friendly  terms  with  Sir  Sidney  Shippard  ;  but  I  feel 
sure  it  would  be  to  the  advantage  of  the  service  that  our 
work  should  not  be  mixed  up  together. 

2.  Or,  if  Her  Majesty's  Government  came  to  see  its  way, 
at  some  future  time,  to  extend  the  present  colony  of 
Bechuanaland  northward,  I  should  be  prepared  to  attempt, 
as  just  stated,  the  initial  work  in  North  Bechuanaland, 
and  to  take  charge  of  the  Native  Department,  or  whatever 
other  office  in  the  enlarged  Colony  Her  Majesty's  Govern- 
ment might  entrust  to  me. 

3.  There  is  a  third  capacity  in  which  I  am  willing  to 
undertake  the  same  immediate  work  in  North  Bechuanaland, 
but  in  this  case  it  would  be  to  hand  it  over  to  others  when 
completed,  and  to  engage  in  other  necessary  intermediary 
or  diplomatic  work  elsewhere,  as  the  High  Commissioner 
and  Her  Majesty's  Government  might  desire.  It  will  be 
in  the  recollection  of  some  that  it  was  contemplated,  some 
years  ago,  to  place  on  the  staff  of  the  High  Commissioner 
a  "Native  Commissioner"  or  "Chief  Native  Commissioner," 
or  "  Imperial  Native  Commissioner,"  who  would  be  ex- 
pected to  be  an  authority  on  native  customs  and  native 
politics,  and  who  would  also  be  qualified  to  undertake  on 
behalf  of  the  High  Commissioner  and  Her  Majesty's  Govern- 
ment the  diplomatic  work  necessarily  connected  with  our 
position  and  work  in  native  territories.  It  will  not  be 
disputed  that  the  presence  of  such  an  officer  would  have 
averted  many  an  untoward  and  calamitous  event.  Such 
work  as  has  now  to  be  done  in  North  Bechuanaland  would 
fall  to  this  officer. 

Then,  Her  Majesty's  Government  has  now  before  its 
mind,  in  Native  Territories,  certain  general  objects  which  a 
permanent  official  of  this  character  could  do  something  to 
further,  in  a  quiet,  steady,  and  persistent  way.  I  need  only 
mention  one  or  two  of  those  general  objects  which  ought 
never  to  be  lost  sight  of.  Certain  steps  as  to  the  treatment 
of  land,  the  result  of  which  would  be  to  win  the  affections 
of  the  people  for  Her  Majesty's  administration,  and  to 
gradually  supersede  the  communistic  relations  of  the 
members  of  a  tribe  among  one  another,  letting  in  the  fresh, 
stimulating  breath  of  healthy  individualistic  competition  ;  and 
slowly,  but  surely,  and  in  the  general  tribal  interest,  to 
supersede  the  power  and  influence  of  the  Chiefs  by  an 


452 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


evidently  helpful  Queen's  Government,  and  generally,  to 
lead  the  various  communities  forward,  cherishing  a  good 
understanding  between  the  old  Native  element  and  the 
new  European  settlers  in  their  country,  until,  in  each  case, 
by  God's  blessing  on  our  efforts.  Imperial  administration 
could  be  removed  and  local  self-government  advantageously 
take  its  place.  I  am  willing,  if  called  on  by  Government, 
to  do  my  best  to  discharge  the  duties  of  "  Chief  Native 
Commissioner,"  or  "  Imperial  Native  Commissioner."  I 
should  regard  the  appointment  as  a  high  honour,  and  I 
should  feel  all  the  stimulus  and  strength  which  flow  from 
the  assurance  that  in  this  office  I  had  opportunity  of  serving 
my  fellow-men,  my  beloved  country,  and  the  common 
Father  of  all. — I  remain,  dear  Lord  Knutsford,  ever  sincerely 
yours,  John  Mackenzie. 

For  nearly  three  months  Mackenzie  was  kept 
waiting  for  a  reply  to  this  application.  The  reason 
for  this  was  that  it  had  to  be  transmitted  to  South 
Africa  for  the  consideration  of  Sir  Henry  Loch, 
the  High  Commissioner  and  Governor  of  Cape 
Colony. 

Lord  Knutsford  has  kindly  supplied  the  present 
writer  with  the  following  statement  of  facts.  Re- 
ferring to  the  letter  of  application  he  says  : — 

Upon  receiving  this  I  wrote  to  Sir  Henry  Loch,  in 
which,  while  enclosing  a  copy  of  your  father's  letter,  I 
said  that  there  was  no  doubt  of  Mr  Mackenzie  being  a 
very  able  man,  and  Imperialistic  in  his  views,  as  he  had 
long  been  pressing  annexation  and  believed  that  he  could 
reconcile  the  Chiefs  to  this  proceeding  ;  that  I  thought  he 
would  be  really  useful,  and  that  he  was  the  man  most 
likely  to  conciliate  the  Chiefs  ;  that  I  personally  would  be 
glad  to  see  him  appointed  Special  Commissioner  (perhaps 
for  one  year  in  the  first  instance),  under  Sir  Henry  Loch's 
orders  as  High  Commissioner. 

During  the  delay  Mackenzie  had  been  much 
encouraged  by  various  interviews  at  the  Colonial 
Office,  which  seemed  to  indicate  that  there,  at  any 
rate,  his  appointment  would  be  received  with  satis- 


THE  SAVING  OF  BECHUANALAND  453 


faction.  He  even  went  the  length  of  describing  in 
a  communication  to  Sir  Robert  Herbert,  on  the 
loth  of  May,  the  plan  which  should  be  adopted  by 
a  Commissioner  appointed  to  bring  North  Bechuana- 
land  under  Imperial  administration.  When  at  last 
Lord  Knutsford  announced  on  July  7th  that  Sir 
Henry  Loch  had  decided  against  the  proposal,  there 
could  be  no  doubt  of  Mackenzie's  deep  disappoint- 
ment. Sir  Henry  Loch  said  that  he  had  already  made 
other  arrangements  for  the  control  and  administration 
of  the  Protectorate,  which  did  not  admit  of  the 
appointment  of  any  officer  to  perform  the  kind 
of  work  proposed  for  Mackenzie.  To  this  Mackenzie 
replied  as  follows  : — 

II  Queen  Square,  W.C., 
loth  July  1 89 1. 

Dear  Lord  Knutsford, — I  have  to  acknowledge  your 
Lordship's  kindly  expressed  note  informing  me  that  Sir 
Henry  Loch  has  made  arrangements  for  the  control  and 
administration  of  the  Bechuanaland  Protectorate,  and  does 
not  see  his  way  to  avail  himself  of  my  services  there,  and 
that  your  Lordship  could  not  press  the  matter  further  against 
his  decided  opinion. 

In  reply  to  this  unexpected  information,  and  in  so  far  as 
the  question  is  a  personal  one,  I  shall  only  say  that  I  bow  to 
your  Lordship's  decision,  for  which  I  have  been  anxiously 
waiting  for  some  time :  and  that  I  shall  never  regret  having 
offered  my  services  for  a  pacific  settlement  of  North  Bechu- 
analand at  the  present  juncture,  although  those  services  have 
been  declined.  I  may  be  permitted  to  say  also  that  I  have 
worked  for  this  cause  for  so  many  years  that  I  am  not  afraid 
that  my  policy  or  my  motives  are  misunderstood  in  Cape 
Town  any  more  than  at  the  Colonial  Office  in  London  : 
and  again,  I  am  quite  sure  that  they  have  not  declined  my 
services  on  account  of  my  ignorance  of  Bechuanaland,  or  my 
want  of  acceptability  to  its  people,  black  as  well  as  white. 

Leaving  the  present  aspect  of  the  question,  I  beg  to  offer 
a  few  remarks  on  the  much  graver  public  aspect.  This  I  can 
do  all  the  more  readily  that  I  have  had  no  private  or  personal 
quarrels  or  animosities  in  South  Africa.    The  umbrage  which 


454 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


I  may  have  given  has  been  entirely  through  the  pubUc  poUcy 
which  I  have  advocated,  and  especially  because  it  is  recognized 
that  I  had  something  to  do  with  the  revival  of  Imperial 
influence  in  South  Africa  at  a  time  when  it  was  thought  to 
have  been  banished  and  got  rid  of.  I  confess  I  am  afraid 
that  that  influence,  as  a  power  for  good^  is  still  in  great  danger 
of  being,  in  a  clever  but  real  way,  subverted  and  banished 
from  South  Africa — leaving  the  Imperial  Government  with 
full  responsibility^  but  stripped  of  all  power  and  means  of 
action. 

Allow  me  to  recapitulate  the  heads  of  the  policy  to 
advocate  which  I  have  given  some  years  of  my  life,  and 
which  has  met  with  public  approval  in  this  country,  the 
intelligent  acquiescence  of  the  natives,  chiefs,  and  people,  after 
being  fully  explained  to  them,  as  well  as  the  approbation  of 
the  best  and  most  intelligent  colonists. 

1.  I  believe  I  was  the  first  to  point  out  the  possibility  of 
the  peaceful  opening  up  of  native  territories  under  the 
Imperial  Government,  accompanied  by  the  recognition  of  the 
rights  of  natives  to  their  holdings,  and  by  intelligent  steps 
taken  to  secure  those  lands  to  their  owners  under  the  Imperial 
Government. 

2.  There  being  no  General  or  Central  Government  in 
South  Africa,  and  Her  Majesty's  Government  being  recognized 
as  practically  in  this  capacity  by  every  State  and  Colony,  it 
follows  that  new  territories  such  as  Bechuanaland  should  be 
administered  under  Imperial  auspices  till  local  self-government 
became  advisable. 

3.  The  third  point  consists  in  a  recognition  of  the  growth 
of  public  opinion  here  and  in  South  Africa  as  to  South 
African  affairs,  which  may  be  shown  in  this  way.  Although 
in  1883  and  '84  the  growth  of  the  Cape  Colony  northward 
was  held  to  be  infinitely  better  than  that  Bechuanaland 
should  be  the  scene  of  outrage  and  filibustering  or  should 
pass  over  to  the  Transvaal  or  Germany,  and  Britain  be 
effectually  shut  out  of  the  country  ;  yet,  more  recently,  after 
the  attention  of  Great  Britain  and  of  all  South  Africa  has 
been  directed  to  these  northern  countries,  it  is  fully  recognized 
that  it  is  the  duty  of  the  Imperial  Government,  as  the  Acting 
General  Government  of  South  Africa — and  in  the  interests 
of  the  whole  country — to  consider  thoughtfully  the  dis- 
position of  native  territories  under  Imperial  protection,  so 
that  a  Confederation  of  the  European  Governments  in  South 


THE  SAVING  OF  BECHUANALAND  455 


Africa  under  Great  Britain  may  become  practicable  in  the 
future ;  and  that  therefore  both  Bechuanaland  and  Zambesi 
should  be  administered  as  separate  colonies  or  territories 
until  such  time  as  the  wishes  of  their  respective  inhabitants, 
and  the  general  interest  of  South  Africa  as  a  whole,  made 
plain  what  further  step  should  be  taken  with  regard  to  their 
future  and  permanent  government. 

Now  there  are  doubtless  some  men  in  South  Africa  who 
would  object  to  all  these  propositions.  They  would 
"hammer"  the  natives,  and  rob  them  of  their  land,  and 
never  recognize  their  right  to  own  land,  or  to  possess  any 
civil  right  except  to  pay  a  hut-tax.  They  would  "level  down  " 
the  Cape  Colony  constitution  to  the  condition  of  those 
republics  where  a  man,  no  matter  how  good  he  is,  or  how 
much  he  knows,  or  how  much  he  has,  in  character,  knowledge, 
or  property,  can  have  no  citizen-rights,  because  he  is  a  native 
African  in  his  own  country  of  Africa.  These  people  most 
earnestly  desire  to  see  the  Imperial  Government  snubbed 
and  bounced  till  it  retires  from  all  administrative  work  in 
new  territories  :  and  they  do  so  simply  and  baldly  because 
the  British  Government  insists  that  the  natives  do  have  rights 
which  a  civilized  government  must  recognise.  These  people 
do  not  hide  from  us  that  when  they  succeed  in  expelling  the 
Imperial  Government  from  responsible  administrative  work, 
they  intend  to  introduce,  not  "  slavery,"  they  assure  you,  but 
a  "domestic  institution,"  some  "labour  arrangement,"  in  the 
practice  of  which  Europeans  are  to  march  northwards  in 
Africa  under  the  British  flag.  The  one  policy  is  to  hold 
Bechuanaland  under  the  Imperial  Government  in  the  assured 
hope  that  education,  and  the  introduction  of  civiUzed  settlers 
from  Britain  and  from  the  Cape  Colony,  will  make  that 
country  an  important  factor  in  "  levelling  up "  the  future 
South  African  Confederation  to  the  status  of  the  present 
constitution  of  the  Cape  Colony.  The  other  is  to  drive  out 
the  Imperial  Government  and  "level  down  "  the  Cape  Colony 
Constitution  to  the  present  low  status  of  the  Grondwet  of 
the  Transvaal. 

I  know  of  nothing  which  illustrates  the  present  South 
African  position  so  well  as  the  condition  of  the  United  States 
of  America  before  the  Civil  War.  The  great  question  then 
was.  Shall  the  new  territories  become  Free  Soil  or  Slave 
States?  The  corresponding  "Southern"  view  in  South 
Africa   at   the   present   time,   would   expel   the  Imperial 


456  JOHN  MACKENZIE 


Government  from  administration  and  thus  settle  the  matter 
in  favour  of  its  own  views.  The  best  men  in  South  Africa, 
and  I  am  not  now  speaking  of  Dutch  or  Enghsh,  earnestly 
desire  the  Imperial  Government  to  remain  in  active 
administration  and  responsibility  in  native  territories,  so  that 
the  "  Northern  "  view  and  policy  may  triumph  in  the  future 
in  all  South  Africa. 

I  cannot  imagine  for  a  moment  any  hesitation  on  a 
question  of  this  nature  and  magnitude,  on  the  part  of  your 
Lordship  or  Her  Majesty's  Government,  when  the  real 
bearings  of  the  question  are  clearly  seen.  The  one  policy  is 
unrighteous,  selfish,  and  destined  to  be  worked  out  in  blood ; 
the  other  is  such  as  can  be  laid  before  South  Africa  and 
before  the  world,  and  on  which  the  blessing  of  Heaven  can 
be  asked. 

The  problem  in  South  Africa  is  not  an  easy  one  in  any 
circumstances.  What  I  fear  is  that  Her  Majesty's  Govern- 
ment is  in  danger  of  acquiescing  in  its  own  expulsion  from 
active  administration  in  new  territories,  by  a  few  men  in  the 
Cape  Colony,  before  there  is  a  Confederated  South  African 
Government  to  which  it  could  hand  over  its  duties ;  and  I 
am  well  aware  that  no  greater  calamity  could  possibly  happen 
to  South  Africa. 

In  concluding  these  remarks  on  the  public  bearings  of  the 
opposing  lines  of  policy  in  South  Africa  to-day,  I  leave  it  to 
Her  Majesty's  Government  to  choose  which  it  will  follow 
and  uphold.  And  in  this  connexion  I  beg  to  put  it  to  your 
Lordship  and  to  Her  Majesty's  Government  to  consider 
well  whether  the  present  rejection  of  a  man  does  not  mean, 
in  the  present  circumstances,  the  rejection  of  an  indispensable 
Imperial  policy.  The  individual  man  cannot  help  being 
effaced  when  he  is  rejected ;  but  it  is  quite  different  with  the 
Imperial  Government,  whose  presence  and  work  are  so 
necessary.  I  would  therefore  implore  your  Lordship,  by  all 
that  is  highest  and  noblest  in  our  British  history  and  action 
in  the  world,  to  see  to  it  that  the  Imperial  Government  is 
not  effaced  in  Bechuanaland,  and  that  what  I  would  have 
willingly  attempted  in  North  Bechuanaland  is  really  done  by 
some  one  else. — I  remain,  dear  Lord  Knutsford,  ever  yours 
sincerely,  John  Mackenzie. 

To  Mr  Chamberlain  he  wrote  on  the  same 
subject. 


THE  SAVING  OF  BECHUANALAND  457 


II  Queen  Square,  W.C, 
Zth  July  1891. 

I  have  received  the  enclosed  letter  from  Lord  Knutsford. 
I  also  take  the  liberty  to  enclose  a  draft  reply,  hoping  you 
will  do  me  the  favour  of  looking  through  it. 

I  was  fully  aware  that  I  was  proposing  to  myself  no 
bed  of  roses  in  the  work  which  I  contemplated.  Had  the 
Government  desired  that  work  to  be  done,  and  supported 
me  along  with  the  High  Commissioner,  I  was  prepared  to 
go  and  do  my  best,  knowing  that  at  such  a  distance  from 
Cape  Town  I  should  have  had  very  little  prospect  of 
treading  on  the  toes  of  any  of  the  Cape  Town  opponents 
of  Imperial  administration  in  native  territories. 

But  it  is  better  to  be  told  now  that  there  is  no  room 
or  work  for  me  in  North  Bechuanaland  than  to  be  appointed 
and  then  deserted,  as  was  my  experience  under  Sir  H. 
Robinson. 

I  do  not  regret  having  given  some  years  of  my  life  to 
the  work  of  spreading  information  about  that  country  and 
about  our  duties  there.  You  remember  well  what  it  was 
in  1884,  when  I  was  first  introduced  to  you  by  Dr  Dale. 
Since  that  time  I  can  conscientiously  say  I  have  done  what 
I  could  for  the  cause  of  the  weak  and  the  ignorant  and 
for  the  good  of  my  country. 

Allow  me  to  thank  you  for  your  kindness  and  help.  The 
country  up  to  the  Zambesi  is  now  in  our  hands  to  make 
or  mar. 

As  soon  as  Lord  Knutsford's  letter  reached  him, 
Mackenzie  walked  down  to  the  Mission  House  and 
into  the  office  of  Mr  Wardlaw  Thompson  and  said, 
"  Now,  I  am  ready  for  Hankey." 

Before  closing  this  chapter  in  his  life,  it  ought  to  be 
recalled  that  among  all  the  labours  which  we  have 
been  describing,  Mackenzie  had  undertaken  in  the  year 
1889  to  read  the  proofs  of  a  re-print  of  the  Bible  in 
the  language  of  the  Bechuana  people.  This  was 
undertaken  at  the  request  of  the  British  and  Foreign 
Bible  Society.  The  work  would  have  been  irksome 
for  any  one,  but  the  labour  was  increased  by  the  fact 
that,  as  he  went  on,  he  could  not  help  doing  a  little 


458  JOHN  MACKENZIE 


more  than  merely  compare  the  former  edition  with 
the  proof  sheets  of  the  new,  to  secure  an  exact  corre- 
spondence of  the  two.  The  task  was  not  complete 
until  the  end  of  1890.  The  following  letter  to  the 
late  Dr  William  Wright,  the  Secretary  of  the  Bible 
Society,  will  give  some  idea  of  what  he  had  done. 

II  Queen  Square,  W.C., 
2,rd  December  1890. 

Dear  IJr  Wright, — I  am  glad  and  thankful  to  say  that 
yesterday  I  sent  off  the  last  pages  of  the  Sechuana  Scriptures  : 
and  as  the  second  proofs  are  only  a  sheet  or  two  behind, 
I  am  quite  within  sight  of  the  completion  of  my  work. 

I  should  have  got  through  sooner,  but  that,  as  you  are 
aware,  I  had  to  read  288  pages  twice  over,  owing  to  the 
resolution  of  the  Committee  to  increase  the  number  of 
copies  to  be  printed.  Then  I  was  also  laid  aside  for  a 
time  by  illness  which  unfitted  me  for  mental  work. 

The  work  itself  has  been  more  onerous  than  might  have 
been  expected.  I  found  that  in  different  books  of  Scripture 
there  were  different  ways  of  spelling  the  same  word.  I 
have  taken  some  trouble  to  bring  about  uniformity  in  spelling 
words,  and  have  at  any  rate  reduced  the  amount  of  this 
dissimilarity. 

In  reading  this  I  have  been  able  to  elide  a  few  mistaken 
expressions,  one  or  two  of  an  offensive  description,  which 
had  found  their  way  into  use  at  an  early  date  in  the 
history  of  the  Mission.  For  instance,  the  word  for  "  poor  " 
people  in  those  parts  of  the  Bible  which  were  translated 
at  an  early  date,  is  "  Balala,"  the  name  of  a  single  tribe  or 
clan  of  vassal  Bechuanas.  The  right  word  "  bahumanegi " 
is  found  in  late  books ;  I  have  sought  to  keep  out  the  word 
"  Balala "  altogether,  and  to  use  "  Bahumanegi "  instead. 
Tlakola  =  to  wipe,  specifically  as  a  nurse  an  infant,  had 
got  into  Scripture,  in  the  sense  of  to  destroy,  or  to  spoil, 
although  not  used  in  all  such  cases.  I  have  kept  out  this 
word  in  every  case.  Sebono  is  a  word  juade  from  the  verb 
"bona,"  to  see,  by  the  early  missionaries.  It  was  not  in 
native  use,  as  indicating  "vision,"  "something  seen."  It 
was  probably  not  known  when  this  word  was  made  by 
the  missionaries  and  used  by  them  in  public  services,  that 
it  fatally  resembled  a  nasty  word  already  in  too  frequent 


THE  SAVING  OF  BECHUANALAND  459 


use  in  native  swearing.  Afterwards  another  word  was  coined, 
"  sebona,"  which  had  no  recommendation.  "  Sepontsisho," 
a  thing  caused  to  be  seen,  was  also  afterwards  used  in 
Scripture ;  and  this  word  I  have  used  throughout  for  the 
other  objectionable  words. 

Then,  I  have  put  right  some  ungrammatical  expressions, 
and  occasionally  rearranged  an  obscure  sentence  or  clause. 

I  am  glad  that  I  have  been  able  to  bring  this  work  to 
completion,  and  remain,  dear  Dr  Wright,  ever  yours 
sincerely,  John  Mackenzie. 

It  is  due  to  Mackenzie  and  to  his  Christian  faith, 
to  say  in  a  w^ord  that  throughout  these  years  of  great 
toil,  of  absorbing  engagements,  and  of  deep  anxiety, 
his  own  religious  life  was  not  only  maintained,  but 
deepened.  His  family  letters  show  abundantly,  as 
well  as  those  which  he  wrote  to  friends  of  whose 
Christian  sympathy  he  was  sure,  that  his  earlier  habits 
of  prayer-life  remained  unimpaired.  His  separation 
from  his  wife  and  family,  which  was  only  made  bear- 
able by  occasional  and  temporary  re-unions  in  London 
and  at  Portobello,  was  turned  by  him  into  a  means  of 
divine  grace  to  them.  His  nine  children  were  made 
very  sure,  by  his  letters,  of  his  unceasing  prayer  for 
them  and  watchfulness  over  their  growth.  No  one 
of  them  took  any  step  in  life  which  did  not  call  out 
his  fullest  sympathy,  expressed  in  the  tenderest  of 
words.  He  more  than  once  spoke  of  the  absence  of 
any  anxiety  regarding  them  ;  and  he  explained  this 
by  his  profound  faith  in  the  significance  of  the 
baptismal  rite.  For  him  that  Christian  ordinance 
was  no  mere  form,  or  empty  ceremonial.  It  was  the 
expression  and  the  seal  of  a  covenant  between  him 
and  his  Lord,  in  which  his  Lord  bound  Himself, 
Mackenzie  believed,  to  preside  over  the  growth  of 
his  children  and  direct  them  towards  the  Kingdom  of 
Life. 

As  soon  as  it  became  known  that  Mackenzie  was 
going  out  again   to   Africa  in   the  service  of  the 


460 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


London  Missionary  Society,  letters  poured  in  upon 
him  from  all  quarters,  especially  from  those  with 
whom  he  had  been  working  upon  public  questions. 
Nearly  all  of  them  expressed  great  regret  that  Govern- 
ment had  not  appointed  him  to  its  service  in  South 
Africa.  The  members  of  the  South  African  Com- 
mittee immediately  attempted  to  arrange  for  a  public 
dinner  in  his  honour ;  but  as  he  was  to  sail  in 
September,  when  nearly  all  his  friends  were  out  of 
town,  this  was  found  impossible. 

Mr  H.  O.  Arnold  Forster  wrote  to  him  as  follows  : — 

London,  19/8/91. 

Dear  Mackenzie, — I  am  greatly  obliged  to  you  for  your 
letter  received  this  day. 

I  heard  from  Loring  that  all  our  hopes  of  your  being  able 
to  do  the  good  work  in  the  way  we  hoped  are  at  an  end. 
I  most  deeply  regret  it.  I  know  you  will  and  must  feel  the 
disappointment.  It  seemed  as  if  at  last  the  Government 
were  going  to  take  one  wise  step,  and  now  from  the  old 
quarter  comes  once  more  the  usual  fatal  veto. 

We  certainly  do  desire  to  give  you  some  sort  of  testimony 
of  our  regard  before  you  leave,  and  you  will  see  that  the 
enclosed  letter  from  Lord  Grey  has  reference  to  a  communica- 
tion from  me  upon  the  subject.  So  many  people  are  out  of 
town  that  I  fear  we  may  meet  with  some  disappointment. 
But,  judging  from  the  letters  I  have  received,  it  will  be  from 
no  want  of  good-will  and  esteem  that  any  of  your  many 
friends  will  be  absent. 

I  at  anyrate  shall,  I  hope,  have  the  good  fortune  of  see- 
ing you,  and  I  beg  you  will  let  me  know  at  the  earliest 
opportunity  when  you  expect  to  be  in  town. — Yours  very 
truly,  H.  O.  Arnold  Forster. 

As  the  dinner  could  not  be  arranged  at  that  season, 
the  South  African  Committee  resolved  to  send  to 
South  Africa  as  soon  as  possible,  a  gift  which  Mr 
Arnold  Forster  describes  in  the  following  letter  : — 

Dear  Mackenzie, — Loring  and  I  have  been  putting  our 
heads  together  since  you  left.  This  is  what  we  have  thought 
of  as  possible. 


THE  SAVING  OF  BECHUANALAND  461 


1.  A  despatch  box  which  you  may  be  able  to  carry  about 
with  you,  and  which  will  be  identified  with  your  work  in  our 
cause. 

2.  A  really  good  travelling  clock — "compensated,"  and 
not  too  big. 

Perhaps,  however,  home-counsels  may  have  bettered  these 
ideas ;  if  so,  let  me  know  by  return,  otherwise  I  shall  go 
ahead.  Let  me  know  your  address  in  Africa.  The  things 
shall  be  sent  after  you  with  the  least  possible  delay.  We  also 
propose  to  send  you  some  written  record  on  behalf  of  the 
S.  A.  Committee,  testifying  to  their  deep  appreciation 
of  your  work  here.  Let  me  add  that  Loring  and  I  have 
been  agreeing  that  you  have  left  us  an  example  of  courage, 
single-mindedness,  and  determination  to  fight  for  the  right, 
which  will  long  serve  as  an  encouragement  in  the  days  when 
guidance  and  inspiration  are  so  sorely  needed.  You  have 
done  us  both  good,  and  our  best  return  will  be  to  try  and 
not  let  your  work  fall  to  the  ground. — Yours  very  truly, 

H.  O.  Arnold  Forster. 

The  presents  were  sent  as  described  by  Mr  Arnold 
Forster  in  January  1892,  and  Mackenzie  replied  as 
follows  : — 

Hankey,  Cape  Colony, 
10th  Feby.  1892. 

Dear  Mr  Arnold  Forster, — I  have  received  your  kind 
letter,  announcing  the  shipment  of  the  valuable  gifts  and 
keepsakes  which  my  friends  of  the  South  African  Committee 
have  been  so  kind  as  to  send  to  me,  and  more  recently  the 
case  itself  reached  this  place,  containing  the  despatch  box 
and  the  travelling  clock.  On  being  unpacked  both  were 
found  in  entirely  good  condition,  and  are  as  handsome  as 
they  are  sure  to  be  useful. 

May  I  ask  you  to  convey  my  heartfelt  thanks  to  those 
friends  who  have  so  kindly  expressed  their  favourable  estimate 
of  my  share  in  our  work  accomplished,  and  our  work  at- 
tempted and  not  yet  secured,  for  South  Africa. 

I  would  willingly  write  at  length  on  the  very  important 
questions  ever  near  my  heart,  and  which  are  no  doubt 
occupying  the  Committee's  present  attention,  but  I  find 
myself  surrounded  here  by  imperative  duties  of  a  very  en- 
grossing nature,  which  in  the  meantime  demand  my  whole 
attention.    I  sincerely  hope,  however,  that  the  members  of 


462 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


the  Committee  will  redouble  their  attention  to  Imperial 
questions  in  Southern  Africa,  for  in  my  opinion  present 
circumstances  demand  not  less,  but  more  watchfulness  than 
before.  In  my  judgment,  Great  Britain  is  at  the  present 
moment  in  the  utmost  danger  of  losing  all  practical 
supremacy  and  control  in  the  management  of  Border  aud 
Native  affairs  in  South  Africa,  while  all  the  time  you  are 
given  to  understand  that  your  influence  is  increasing.  Thus 
the  highest  interests  of  both  Colonists  and  natives — so  long 
secured  by  the  efforts  of  the  Imperial  Power — demand  the 
closest  vigilance  on  the  part  of  all  lovers  of  justice  and  fair 
deahng.  Gratified  and  cheered  by  my  friends'  kindness  to 
me,  I  remain,  dear  Mr  Forster,  ever  yours  sincerely, 

John  Mackenzie. 


APPENDIX  TO  CHAPTER  XVII 

In  the  following  letter,  whose  occasion  is  explained  by 
itself,  Mackenzie  gave,  as  in  duty  bound,  a  kind  of 
informal  report  of  the  work  which  he  had  been  doing 
since  1883,  in  which  he  had  enjoyed  not  only  the 
sympathy  but  the  assistance  of  the  London  Missionary 
Society : — 

PORTOBELLO,  N.B., 

3^^  Nov.  1 890. 

The  Rev.  R.  Wardlaw  Thompson, 
Foreign  Secretary,  L.  M.  S. 

Dear  Mr  Thompson, — I  have  now  to  reply  to  the 
invitation  of  the  Directors  to  undertake  the  spiritual  charge 
of  the  church  at  Hankey,  as  one  of  the  missionaries  of  the 
Society. 

I  have  endeavoured  very  earnestly  to  ascertain  the  path  of 
duty ;  and  after  prayer  and  consultation  and  much  anxious 
thought,  have  arrived  at  the  conclusions  which  I  shall  now 
lay  before  you  in  as  few  words  as  possible. 

But  for  one  thing,  the  non-settlement  of  the  Bechuanaland 
question,  I  should  at  once  accept  of  the  Society's  invitation, 
and  do  my  best  for  it  at  Hankey.  It  therefore  follows  that 
if  temporary  arrangements  can  be  made  by  you  for  carrying 


THE  SAVING  OF  BECHUANALAND  463 


on  the  work  at  Hankey  till  such  time  as  the  affairs  of 
Bechuanaland  are  discussed  in  this  country  and  settled,  after 
the  report  of  Sir  Henry  Loch  on  his  personal  visit  to  Bechu- 
analand, I  shall  be  happy  to  proceed  to  Hankey  and  carry  out 
the  work  of  the  Society  there,  in  accordance  with  their  present 
invitation. 

In  thus  subordinating  the  invitation  to  engage  in  work  at 
Hankey  to  the  completion  of  the  work  for  Bechuanaland,  I 
feel  that  I  shall  evoke  your  sympathy,  although  it  may  entail 
some  trouble  in  making  the  necessary  temporary  arrangements. 

You  will  remember  that  I  came  over  to  this  country  from 
Africa  in  the  end  of  1885  for  a  specific  object,  to  instruct  the 
public  with  reference  to  Bechuanaland  and  the  countries 
adjoining,  so  as  to  lead  to  an  intelligent  and  righteous  policy. 
My  conception  of  my  present  work  in  England  has  all  along 
been  to  see  all  Bechuanaland  under  the  administration  of  the 
Queen,  and  thus  secure  the  rights  of  all  the  natives,  as  well 
as  render  impossible  the  occupation  of  the  freebooter  and 
the  filibuster.  Besides  the  inertia  of  ignorance,  and  the  en- 
grossments of  the  Irish  squabble,  we  had  to  fight  the  late 
High  Commissioner,  and  on  account  of  him,  in  a  secondary 
way,  the  present  English  Government. 

I  do  not  think  it  will  be  out  of  place  for  me  to  recall  some 
leading  events  of  recent  years,  in  which  I  have  borne  part, 
and  in  which  I  have  enjoyed  the  effective  co-operation  of 
yourself  and  of  many  Directors  and  supporters  of  the 
Society : — 

1883-  4 

The  saving  of  Bechuanaland  from  the  Transvaal,  for  the 
Society,  for  the  natives,  and  for  Great  Britain. 

1884 

Rousing  the  best  feehng  of  Cape  Colonists  by  press  and 
platform  as  to  righteous  methods  of  European  expansion ; 
testified  to  by  resolutions  at  public  meetings  in  chief  towns 
of  Colony.  It  was  this  sound  Colonial  feeling,  evoked  at 
this  time,  which  induced  Mr  Gladstone's  Government  to  send 
out  the  Bechuanaland  Expedition. 

1884-  5 

Establishing  British  Protectorate  in  South  Bechuanaland 
as  Deputy  Commissioner,  and  also  in  connexion  with  Sir 


464 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


Charles  Warren ;  securing  under  Sir  Charles  the  peaceful 
co-operation  and  goodwill  of  every  chief  in  Bechuanaland, 
North  and  South. 

1884-5 

Securing  a  land  settlement  for  South  Bechuanaland  under 
Imperial  auspices,  in  direct  opposition  to  the  policy  of  Sir 
H.  Robinson,  who  advocated  that  there  should  be  no  land 
settlement  till  South  Bechuanaland  was  annexed  to  the  Cape 
Colony.  What  was  gained  by  this  is  very  clearly  indicated  by 
the  fact  that  when  Mr  Price  lately  erected  a  native  church  at 
Koning,  near  Kuruman,  a  formal  protest  was  sent  to  him  by 
the  European  who  had  claimed  Koning  before  the  Imperial 
Land  Court,  and  w^ho  does  not  hide  his  belief  that  he  will 
get  redress  when  the  country  is  annexed  to  the  Cape  Colony. 
I  observed  also  that  a  petition  had  been  actually  lodged  already 
w^ith  the  Cape  Colony  Government,  against  another  decision 
of  the  Bechuanaland  Imperial  Land  Court,  in  which  that 
decision  had  been,  as  in  the  case  of  Koning,  in  favour  of  the 
natives,  and  against  certain  European  claimants. 

1885-90 

In  England  again.  By  WTiting  "  Austral  Africa,"  &c.,  by 
addressing  the  Society  of  Arts  ;  the  British  x\ssociation  ;  the 
Geographical  Societies  of  Edinburgh,  Manchester,  and  New^- 
castle ;  the  Chambers  of  Commerce  of  London,  Glasgow, 
Liverpool,  and  Edinburgh ;  by  contact  with  men  of  influence 
in  the  political  and  official  world ;  by  formal  communications 
from  time  to  time  to  the  Colonial  Office  ;  by  these  and  other 
means,  certain  results  have  been  furthered.    Among  others  : — 

The  policy  of  Sir  H.  Robinson  of  annexing  Bechuanaland 
to  the  Cape  Colony  has  been  defeated  once  and  again. 

The  annexation  of  Swaziland  to  the  Transvaal  has  been 
defeated,  and  an  Imperial  settlement  of  land  and  other  claims 
secured  for  that  country. 

Public  attention  in  this  country  directed  to  the  nibbling  at 
the  Cape  Constitution  involved  in  the  Revision  of  Registra- 
tion Act,  so  that  those  who  promoted  that  retrogressive  move- 
ment have  not  gone  further,  as  was  said  to  be  their  original 
intention. 

Keeping  the  public  thoroughly  aw^are  of  the  immense  and 
vital  importance  to  all  South  Africa  of  retaining  the  British 
administration  of  Bechuanaland,  thereby  lifting  gradually  South 


THE  SAVING  OF  BECHUANALAND  465 


African  policy  to  the  position  secured  in  the  Cape  Colony  by 
its  Constitution.  Appreciating  these  and  other  arguments, 
the  public  censors  of  Imperial  expenditure  have  not  found 
fault  with  the  Imperial  outlay  in  Bechuanaland ;  but,  on  the 
contrary,  public  opinion  has  unanimously  demanded  a  more 
intelligent  attitude  than  that  hitherto  assumed  by  the  present 
Government.  It  was  this  public  interest  in  these  regions 
which  Mr  Rhodes  took  advantage  of  on  the  one  hand,  while 
on  the  other  hand  the  present  Government  professed  to 
be  furthering  the  highest  interests  of  the  countries  indicated, 
in  the  matter  of  the  Charter  of  the  British  South  Africa 
Company. 

Restraints  were  imposed  on  this  Company,  and  its  greater 
subordination  to  the  Colonial  Office  secured,  in  deference 
to  public  opinion  and  pressure.  The  Company  idea  was 
opposed  until  the  Charter  was  given  by  the  present  Govern- 
ment. The  position  has  all  along  been  taken  up,  that  after 
our  contract  with  the  chiefs  and  people  of  Bechuanaland 
in  1885,  and  their  offers  to  us  of  territory  at  that  time,  it 
would  be  unjust,  even  dishonest,  to  the  British  public,  to 
hand  over  any  part  of  Bechuanaland  to  a  Commercial  and 
Private  Company.  This  position  as  to  Bechuanaland  and 
the  Imperial  Government  has  never  been  controverted.  It 
has  been  privately  assented  to  by  authorities  of  the  Com- 
pany, and  it  has  been  tacitly  recognized  in  semi-official  articles 
on  the  British  South  Africa  Company. 

War  and  bloodshed  in  Matabeleland  have  been,  for  the  time 
at  least,  prevented,  between  the  Company  and  the  Matabele. 
You  have  seen  the  map  with  the  route  which  was  suggested 
by  me  to  Lord  Knutsford,  and  which  has  been  foUow^ed 
without  bloodshed.  That  another  route  was  preferred  in 
certain  quarters  is  certain.  And  it  is  equally  certain  that 
if  an  armed  European  force  had  attempted  to  penetrate 
Matabeleland  proper  their  progress  would  have  been  forcibly 
opposed  by  the  Matabele;  and,  probably  in  some  "kloof" 
or  other  available  place  of  ambush,  hundreds,  if  not  thousands, 
of  lives  must  have  been  lost  in  the  attempt  to  force  a  way  to 
Mashonaland  through  Matabeleland.  Public  attention  has 
been  directed  to  the  question  of  the  future  Confederation  of 
South  Africa,  especially  in  connexion  with  the  inadvisable- 
ness  of  adding  to  the  area  of  the  Cape  Colony  by  the 
annexation  of  any  part  of  Bechuanaland. 

When  Mr  Rhodes  lately  spoke  of  the  growth  of  the  Cape 

2  G 


466  JOHN  MACKENZIE 


Colony  northwards,  not  one  organ  of  public  opinion  in  this 
country  approved  of  it,  so  far  as  I  am  aware.  Even  his 
friends  treated  it  as  a  joke,  or  as  a  mere  sop  for  the  present 
gratification  of  his  Africander  friends. 

These  are  some  of  the  results  of  the  peculiar  work  in  which 
I  have  been  lately  engaged,  a  work,  which  I  venture  to  say, 
is  both  Christian  and  Christlike  in  its  grand  objects.  I  have 
not  gone  into  matters  of  detail ;  and,  indeed,  in  your  case 
that  would  be  unnecessary,  as  many  of  the  movements  have 
been  known  to  you  at  the  time,  and  have  secured  your 
sympathy  and  help. 

Now  I  do  feel,  without,  as  I  trust,  unseemly  egotism,  that 
wide  and  permanent  results  have  already  followed,  and  are 
destined  to  follow,  the  above  movements,  which  have  already 
permanently  affected  the  current  of  South  African  history. 
In  these  movements  I  have  borne  a  part ;  to  their  promotion 
I  have  given  some  years  of  my  life ;  and  my  friends  generally 
assure  me  that  without  my  close  personal  attention  and  efforts, 
these  results  would  not  have  been  secured.  In  this  connexion 
I  desire  to  express  my  great  obligation  to  yourself  and  to  other 
Directors  and  members  of  the  Society,  who,  along  with  a  few 
personal  friends,  have  enabled  me  to  carry  on  this  work 
hitherto,  until,  as  you  will  agree  with  me,  the  final  struggle 
and  settlement  are  within  sight. 

I  may  be  allowed  to  remark  that  the  work  which  has 
occupied  most  of  my  time  in  England,  and  in  South  Africa, 
has  always  been  difficult  and  sometimes  trying.  I  have  shared 
my  encouragements  with  my  friends ;  and  I  don't  think  I 
have  troubled  them  with  my  disappointments.  My  position 
has  kept  myself  and  more  especially  those  belonging  to  myself 
in  more  or  less  anxiety.  But  feeling  that  the  work  was  God's 
work  imposed  on  me,  I  have  stuck  to  it,  turning  neither  to 
the  right  hand  nor  to  the  left.  I  have  had  great  pleasure  in 
occasionally  engaging  in  Deputation  work,  as  far  as  I  have 
been  able.  And  I  have  been  reading  for  the  press  a  reprint 
of  the  Sechuana  Scriptures.  Otherwise  I  have  been  a  man 
of  one  idea,  from  which  nothing  has  diverted  me.  It  would 
be  very  easy  indeed  for  me  to  reckon  the  books  which  I  have 
read  during  these  years,  and  the  holidays  which  I  have  taken. 

Now,  it  is  evident  to  me  that  if  we  would  reap  the  full 
advantage  of  what  we  have  been  doing  in  the  past,  we  must 
not  slacken  our  hand  till  the  final  settlement  is  reached  and 
British  administration  is  established  in  all  Bechuanaland. 


THE  SAVING  OF  BECHUANALAND  467 


Sir  Henry  Loch  is  now  in  Bechuanaland,  and,  it  appears, 
thinks  even  of  visiting  Matabeleland.  His  report  will  soon 
be  before  Her  Majesty's  Government,  and  the  result  will 
probably  be  a  settlement  of  Bechuanaland  up  to  the  Zambesi. 
If  he  has  to  be  fought,  like  Sir  H.  Robinson  and  Sir  F.  de 
Winton  and  others,  in  the  interests  of  righteousness  and  fair 
dealing,  if  he  should  recommend  that  South  Bechuanaland 
should  be  handed  over  to  the  Cape  Colony,  and  North 
Bechuanaland  to  the  Chartered  Company  as  its  possession, 
and  that  thus  the  direct  Christian  influence  of  Great  Britain 
should  be  excluded  from  native  poHcy  in  the  interior  of  South 
Africa,  I  should  like  to  be  in  the  country  when  the  fight  takes 
place.  I  confess  I  should  not  respect  myself  if  I  turned  away 
from  the  Bechuanaland  question  just  now,  and  left  it  without 
that  measure  of  guidance  and  furtherance  which  I  have  been 
able  to  bring  to  bear  upon  it.  No  one  can  exaggerate  the 
issue  which  the  settlement  of  Bechuanaland  will  practically 
go  far  to  decide.  What  is  really  at  stake  is  whether 
"  Southerner "  or  "  Northerner "  doctrines  and  tendencies 
are  to  prevail  in  Southern  Africa :  whether  the  country  is 
to  be  split  into  two  camps  on  the  question  of  colour,  or 
broad  justice  be  done  to  all,  irrespective  of  race. 

The  British  public  is  with  us,  if  our  views  continue  to  be 
well  explained  and  kept  to  the  front.  I  am  happy  to  observe 
in  the  last  Cape  papers,  that,  notwithstanding  all  efforts  which 
have  been  put  forth,  those  inhabitants  of  Bechuanaland  who 
might  be  supposed  to  be  most  desirous  of  annexation  to  the 
Cape  Colony,  the  farming  population  (which  is  chiefly  the 
Dutch-speaking),  have  recently,  by  public  address  to  the 
High  Commissioner  during  his  visit  to  Vryburg,  deprecated 
such  annexation.  This  expression  of  opinion  on  their  part 
will  give  strength  to  the  often  expressed  opposition  of  the 
Bechuanaland  natives  to  Colonial  annexation ;  and  if  a  full 
expression  of  opinion  to  the  same  effect  is  given  over  here, 
the  annexation  will  not  take  place ;  and  the  whole  of  Bechu- 
analand will  be  administered  as  a  Crown  Colony  under  an 
improved  Constitution,  and  the  peaceful  and  righteous 
development  of  the  country  secured. 

I  have  endeavoured  to  make  plain  to  you  and  to  the 
Directors  what  stands  between  me  and  Hankey  at  present, 
but  which  would  not  stand  between  me  and  it  after  the 
Bechuanaland  settlement  has  been  made.  I  have  written  in 
entire  confidence,  as  to  tried  and  dear  friends,  to  whom  I 


468  JOHN  MACKENZIE 


have  been  known  for  over  thirty  years ;  and  know  my  letter 
will  be  received  in  the  spirit  in  which  it  is  written.  I  don't 
think  you  will  judge  me  to  have  decided  wrongly  when  you 
consider  the  present  imminent  position  of  the  Bechuanaland 
Question. 

When  that  truly  important  matter  for  all  South  Africa  is 
settled,  if  you  have,  in  the  meantime,  succeeded  in  making 
temporary  arrangements,  then  for  Hankey ! — With  very  high 
regards,  believe  me,  ever  yours  sincerely, 

John  Mackenzie. 


CHAPTER  XVIII 


AFRICA — MANY-SIDED  WORK  AT  HANKEY  (189I-1898) 

Hankey  is  the  name  given  in  honour  of  a  former 
Governor  of  Cape  Colony  to  a  settlement  about  fifty 
miles  west  of  Port  Elizabeth.  It  is  situated  in  a  very 
beautiful  valley,  formed  by  the  Gamtoos  River,  which 
falls  into  the  sea,  about  twenty  miles  south.  This  was 
one  of  a  number  of  estates  which  were  acquired  by  the 
London  Missionary  Society  early  in  the  century  under 
the  sanction  of  Government.  Originally  the  Hankey 
estate  consisted  of  more  than  4000  acres,  which  were 
purchased  in  the  year  1822  for  ^^2500.  The  theory 
of  such  a  settlement  in  South  Africa  was  this — that  if 
the  Society  owned  large  enough  tracts  of  ground  in 
suitable  districts  and  gathered  upon  it  those  natives 
who  were  willing  to  break  away  from  tribal  govern- 
ment and  to  place  themselves  under  Christian  instruc- 
tion, strong  centres  of  civilisation  and  religion  would  be 
established.  The  missionaries  found  very  early  that 
combined  superintendence  of  industrial  and  social 
development,  where  they  did  not  possess  magisterial 
authority,  weakened  instead  of  strengthening  their 
moral  influence  over  the  people.  The  theory,  there- 
fore, did  not  work  out  well  in  practice,  and  the  Society 
ultimately  parted  with  all  its  settlements.  The  process 
of  resigning  these  was  by  no  means  easy.  It  required 
repeated  dealings  with  the  Home  Government,  and 
finally  with  the  Cape  Parliament  ;  and  it  required 
also  prolonged  and  often  most  irritating  negotiations 
and  transactions  with  the  native  residents  themselves. 
In  the  year  1876  an  Act  of  the  Colonial  Parlia- 

469 


470 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


ment  was  passed,  enabling  the  Society  to  transfer 
its  land  on  certain  conditions  to  the  natives,  and 
also  to  European  purchasers.  As  a  result  of  this 
final  Parliamentary  action,  all  the  remaining  stations 
were  got  rid  of  by  the  Society,  excepting  only 
Hankey.  Here  the  same  difficulties  which  obtained 
elsewhere  seemed  to  concentrate  themselves  with 
peculiar  intensity.  Few  Europeans  were  found  willing 
to  purchase  land  for  the  purpose  of  settling  upon  it. 
The  natives  who  had  been  the  tenants  of  the  Society, 
accustomed  to  indulgent  treatment  in  reference  to 
rents  and  other  responsibilities,  did  not  relish  the 
sterner  demand  which  came  upon  them  when  they 
agreed  to  make  periodical  payments,  with  a  view 
to  ownership.  The  result  was  that  large  numbers, 
after  many  years,  were  found  to  have  paid  neither 
capital  nor  interest,  and,  of  course,  had  escaped  the 
payment  of  rent.  It  was  necessary,  therefore,  for 
the  Society  to  resume  occupancy,  and  exercise  both 
its  rights  and  responsibilities  once  more. 

The  Hankey  settlement  is  peculiarly  isolated.  Its 
only  market  is  Port  Elizabeth,  which  cannot  be 
reached  except  by  traversing  a  very  rough  and  hard 
road  ;  this  always  requires  two  days,  the  night  being 
spent  at  an  inn  about  half  way.  Yet  the  soil  is  very 
fruitful,  and  in  good  seasons  the  people  make  an 
abundant  living  in  the  easiest  manner.  There  has, 
therefore,  been  no  stimulus  to  social  or  individual 
ambition,  and  the  population  fell  long  ago  into  ill 
repute  throughout  that  district,  and  even  beyond  it, 
for  laziness,  quarrelsomeness,  and  incapacity. 

When  Mackenzie  arrived  he  found  that  the  affairs 
of  the  village  were  supervised  by  a  Board  of  Manage- 
ment. There  was  no  provision  nearer  than  the  town 
of  Humansdorp  for  the  religious  instruction  or  care  of 
Europeans.  The  coloured  church  had  been  declared 
by  the  London  Missionary  Society  to  be  an  inde- 


MANY-SIDED  WORK  AT  HANKEY  471 


pendent  church,  over  which  he  could  assume  pastoral 
care  only  after  receiving  and  accepting  a  "  call."  The 
Society  had  for  a  number  of  years  employed  Mr  J. 
S.  Hultzer  as  their  general  and  business  manager, 
whose  duty  it  was  to  collect  the  rents  and  superintend 
the  estates.  The  Society  had  also  employed  for  some 
time  a  Mr  Spindler,  a  civil  engineer,  for  the  purpose  of 
investigating  plans  of  irrigation  and  carrying  them 
out.  In  no  direction  did  Mackenzie  find  that  affairs 
were  going  on  with  even  reasonable  smoothness  or 
prosperity.  There  was  a  tangle  in  the  relation  of  the 
administrative  powers  to  all  the  rest.  There  was  a  tangle 
in  the  property  relations  and  rights  of  the  Society  ;  a 
tangle  in  the  industrial  conditions,  responsibilities  and 
rights,  both  of  the  white  and  coloured  farmers,  as  well  as 
the  tenants  of  the  Society.  There  was  a  tangle  in  church 
affairs,  and  a  tangle  in  the  educational  work  of  the 
commiunity.  His  parish,  as  a  spiritual  teacher  and 
pastor,  extended  beyond  the  village  of  Hankey  to 
several  out-stations,  where  he  was  expected  to  super- 
intend the  work  of  native  preachers,  ordained  and 
unordained. 

The  task  of  Mackenzie  at  Hankey  was  the  straighten- 
ing out  of  all  these  tangled  relations.  He  was  simply 
sent  out  to  put  Hankey  right  from  top  to  bottom.  It 
was  understood  when  he  was  appointed,  and  when 
others  remonstrated  against  his  appointment  to  a 
sphere  so  obscure,  and  toil  so  thankless,  that  it  might 
be  accomplished  in  three  years.  No  one  knows  how 
soon  Mackenzie  saw  that  the  task  was  no  three  years' 
task,  but  the  work  of  a  life-time.  He  gave  himself  to 
it,  not  indeed  without  the  exercise  of  conscious  self- 
control,  but  with  profound  peace  of  mind  in  the 
consciousness  of  doing  his  duty.  When  the  doors  to 
further  employment  under  Government  were  closed," 
and  the  London  Missionary  Society  had  this  one  door 
only  to  open  for  him,  he  accepted  this,  as  his  letters 


472  JOHN  MACKENZIE 


abundantly  show,  with  perfect  simplicity  of  motive 
and  humbleness  of  heart,  as  the  work  which  his  Master 
now  laid  upon  him.  When  he  found  himself  at 
Hankey,  and  the  whole  sordid  facts  stared  him  in 
the  face,  no  mortal  heard  him  grumble.  He  did  not 
look  over  his  shoulder,  nor  hesitate  in  any  one  step. 
He  had  come  to  give  himself  to  Hankey  and  for 
Hankey,  as  he  gave  himself  long  ago  to  and  for 
Shoshong  and  Kuruman,  and  as  in  later  years  he  had 
given  himself  to  and  for  South  Africa  as  a  whole. 
The  earthly  sweep  of  his  task  seemed  narrow,  but 
the  sense  of  responsibility  and  the  spirit  of  devotion 
were  the  same — only  deeper  and  richer.  For  during 
these  last  years,  when  he  worked  as  hard  as  in  the 
days  of  his  prime,  and  when  his  strength  was  gradually 
being  undermined,  his  friends  noticed  a  certain  ripen- 
ing of  the  spiritual  man,  of  which  we  shall  speak  later. 

One  of  the  chief  difficulties  to  which  Mackenzie  had 
looked  forward  when  he  accepted  his  new  appointment, 
consisted  in  the  fact  that  he  must  learn  to  preach  in  the 
Dutch  language.  It  is  true  that  he  had  for  many  years 
used  the  colloquial  "Taal"  Dutch  of  South  Africa  ;  but 
its  ungrammatical  lingo  he  had  not  mastered,  and  what 
he  knew  of  it  afforded  him  very  little  help  for  a  thorough 
learning  of  pure  Dutch.  It  has  been  the  custom  of 
Dutch-speaking  South  Africans,  both  European  and 
coloured,  to  conduct  all  their  public  religious  worship 
and  to  do  all  their  preaching  and  speaking  in  high 
Dutch  ;  hence  Mackenzie,  at  fifty-six  years  of  age,  had 
to  face  the  task  of  learning  a  new  language.  Even 
before  he  left  England  he  set  himself  with  his  own 
grim  determination  to  do  this  as  thoroughly  as  possible. 
He  at  once  procured  the  necessary  books,  grammar, 
dictionary,  etc.  He  also  purchased  religious  works  in 
Dutch,  and  was  especially  careful  to  procure  a  Dutch 
translation  of  Spurgeon's  sermons,  in  order,  as  he  said, 
that  he  might  become  familiar  at  once  with  the  religious 


MANY-SIDED  WORK  AT  HANKEY  473 


idioms  and  vocabulary  of  that  language.  The  first 
result  of  his  characteristic  determined  diligence  was 
this,  that  having  arrived  at  Hankey  on  Tuesday, 
October  7th,  he  at  once  obtained  the  help  of  Mr  J.  S. 
Hultzer  to  go  over  the  material  for  his  Sunday  service, 
to  criticise  his  sermon  as  to  its  language  and  structure, 
and  did  actually  on  the  first  Sunday  after  his  arrival 
conduct  the  whole  service  and  preach  the  sermon  in 
the  Dutch  language ! 

Mackenzie  with  his  wife  and  two  daughters  speedily 
made  themselves  at  home  in  Hankey.  They  were,  on 
their  arrival,  pleased  to  receive  a  hearty  welcome,  with 
a  formal  address  from  the  Europeans.  Amongst  these, 
as  they  afterwards  found,  there  had  been  many  bicker- 
ings and  contentions  ;  but  they  came  in  as  strangers, 
and  refused  to  hear  of  or  to  recognise  any  such  past 
events,  resolved  from  the  first  to  treat  them  as  indeed 
past  and  done  with. 

Mackenzie  shut  himself  into  the  valley  of  Hankey 
as  completely  as  if  he  had  never  covered  all  South 
Africa  with  his  interest  and  service  ;  as  if  he  had  not 
haunted  the  lobby  of  the  House  of  Commons  for  days 
and  months  and  years ;  as  if  great  statesmen  and 
public  men  were  unknown  to  him.  He  shut  himself 
into  this  little  valley,  refusing  for  many  weeks  to  read 
newspapers  which  would  divert  him  from  his  present 
duty,  or  to  be  drawn  into  any  important  discussion 
which  might  still  connect  him  with  public  life,  and 
distract  him  from  Hankey.  To  the  laborious  task  of 
preparing  his  weekly  sermon  in  Dutch,  and  another  in 
English —  for  he  instituted  a  regular  English  service 
every  Sunday  besides  all  other  addresses  and  speeches 
incidental  to  the  pastorate — he  added  that  of  imme- 
diately confronting  and  thoroughly  studying  the 
administrative,  industrial,  and  social  affairs  of  the 
community.  For  many  months  he  wrote  a  long 
letter  every  fortnight  to  the  Rev.  Wardlaw  Thompson, 


474  JOHN  MACKENZIE 


the  foreign  secretary  of  the  London  Missionary  Society. 
These  letters  bear  witness  to  the  minuteness  with  which 
he  studied  every  fact  connected  with  Hankey. 

Before  the  end  of  1891  he  began  to  make  practical 
proposals.  In  the  beginning  of  1892  he  was  able  to 
report  that  he  had  obtained  from  the  Board  of  Manage- 
ment a  resolution  which  gave  him,  in  the  name  of  the 
Society,  certain  powers  without  which  he  felt  that  an 
improvement  of  the  conditions  could  not  be  secured. 

On  January  13th,  1892,  he  writes  : — 

By  this  post  you  will  get  a  copy  of  the  agreement  which 
I  have  succeeded  in  making  with  the  Hankey  Board  of 
Managers,  which  brings  to  an  end  the  protracted  deadlock 
which  has  prevailed  here  as  between  the  Society  and  the 
Board. 

In  a  letter  he  says  : — 

It  is,  from  my  point  of  view,  the  best  bit  of  business  the 
Society  has  done  here  for  some  time.  Such  an  agreement 
represents  a  state  of  mind,  and  that  state  of  mind  would  seem 
to  be  rather  a  novelty  here  in  Hankey.  It  will  be  my  part  to 
make  it  permanent,  so  as  to  carry  us  through  the  equally 
deHcate  matters  connected  with  the  enlargement  of  the 
irrigable  area  at  Rooi  Vlakte. 

The  essence  of  this  arrangement  consisted  in  the 
assumption  by  the  Missionary  Society — which  meant 
by  Mackenzie — of  the  management  of  the  Klein  River, 
which  formed  an  important  feature  in  the  further 
development  of  the  estates  at  Hankey.  The  Board 
agreed  to  pay  to  the  Society  £s^  P^^  annum  "to 
assist  it  in  the  water  management." 

Throughout  these  early  letters  Mackenzie  enters 
with  the  utmost  minuteness  into  questions  concerning 
the  irrigation  of  various  portions  of  the  estates,  and 
the  engineering  work  necessary  to  accomplish  that. 
He  had  to  carry  through  negotiations  for  the  acquire- 
ment of  new  ground,  in  order  to  obtain  control  of 
certain  waters  ;  and   having  obtained  it,  he  had  to 


MANY-SIDED  WORK  AT  HANKEY  475 


build  furrows,  deepen  and  strengthen  a  dam,  besides 
negotiating  for  the  repair  of  a  famous  tunnel  which 
had  been  cut  through  the  mountains,  to  bring  the 
water  of  the  Gamtoos  within  reach  of  certain  portions 
of  the  valley. 

Naturally  it  would  be  impossible  to  record  here  the 
details  of  these  investigations,  and  the  labours  which 
they  involved  ;  and  for  many  personal  reasons  it 
would  be  inappropriate  to  refer  more  definitely  to  the 
many  negotiations  with  individuals  in  Hankey  and 
elsewhere  which  his  letters  described.  Suffice  it  to 
say,  that  this  series  of  letters  of  itself  represents  an 
amount  of  work  which  most  of  us  would  have  con- 
sidered sufficient  to  occupy  a  man's  whole  time  and 
thought. 

It  may  not  be  unsuitable  to  give  the  following  as 
one  or  two  specimens  of  the  kind  of  letters  of  which  so 
many  passed  between  Hankey  and  London  for  several 
years  : 

Hankey,  13/^  April  1892. 
Dear  Mr  Thompson, — I  failed  to  send  off  by  last  post  a 
letter  on  some  of  the  matters  which  have  recently  engaged 
my  attention  here,  and  so  it  goes  to-day.  Although  one  of 
great  interest,  especially  to  one  who  knows  Hankey  and  its 
people  as  you  do,  I  feel  sure  you  will  think  with  me  that  the 
enclosed  agreement  with  Mr  Young  is  of  the  utmost  im- 
portance, both  to  Hankey  and  to  the  London  Missionary 
Society. 

Upon  receipt  of  your  letter,  I  began  to  approach  Mr 
Young  as  to  the  use  of  the  fine  natural  reservoir  of  Apple 
Drift.  After  a  severe  and  protracted  bargain-making  struggle, 
we  have  come  to  terms  as  to  Apple  Drift,  and  the  right  to 
raise  it  and  send  back  the  water ;  also  as  to  the  portion  of 
land  on  this  side  of  the  river  as  far  up  as  the  Falls,  near  the 
corner  of  the  road  where  it  turns  in  the  direction  of  Mr  J.  S. 
Young's  house.  I  felt  that  without  the  land  on  this  side  of 
the  river  the  arrangement  would  not  be  satisfactory.  I  had 
included  the  lower  gardens  of  Mr  Young,  opposite  Apple 
Drift,  but  his  ideas  were  so  great  that  I  dropped  them,  re- 
serving, however,  the  right  to  purchase  any  part  which  might 


476 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


be  submerged  by  the  raising  of  our  present  Hankey  dam,  at 
a  certain  rate  per  acre,  or  by  exchange  of  land.  I  need  not 
further  define  or  describe  what  you  know,  and  what  is  fully 
shown  in  the  agreement  and  in  the  sketch.  Mr  Spindler, 
some  time  ago,  standing  near  our  dam,  said,  "  Procure  Apple 
Drift  and  raise  this  dam  ten  feet,  and  you  can  place  Hankey 
and  Newlands  also  beyond  all  want  as  to  supply  of  water." 
At  once,  however,  as  soon  as  the  purchase  was  made,  he 
came  to  me,  taking  it  for  granted,  as  it  were,  that  we  were 
to  put  up  a  very  great  embankment — at  least  twenty-five  feet 
high  !    Then  we  could  do  so  and  so. 

Now  I  am  for  nothing  of  this  extensive  sort.  We  have 
now  a  splendid  natural  dam  at  Apple  Drift.  I  propose  to 
add  to  it  an  earth  or  clay  dam,  in  short,  go  on  with  what 
nature  has  been  doing,  and  then  lead  out  from  Apple  Drift 
to  our  present  Hankey  furrow.  This  taps  a  water  supply 
hitherto  untouched. 

Then  I  would  raise  our  present  dam  and  put  it  in  thorough 
order  and  keep  it  as  a  reservoir  of  reserve  water  for  a  time  of 
drought. 

If  it  were  thought  worth  while,  another  dam  or  reservoir 
could  afterwards  be  made  where  Mr  Spindler  intended  to 
have  his  dam,  or  at  other  convenient  spot  on  the  river  course, 
raising  every  dam  so  as  to  connect  with  Hankey  furrow. 

In  short,  from  Apple  Drift  downwards,  there  could  be  and 
doubtless  will  be  a  series  of  dams  or  reservoirs  for  the  storage 
of  water;  while  out  of  Apple  Drift  itself  is  carried  on  the 
usual  work  of  irrigation.  We  can  work  ahead  and  know  we 
are  going  right,  and  then  we  must  advance  slowly.  The 
outlay  connected  with  this  purchase,  beyond  the  price 
mentioned  in  the  enclosed  agreement,  will  be  confined  to  a 
furrow  from  Apple  Drift  to  our  present  Hankey  furrow  ;  and 
the  enclosing  of  the  piece  of  land  which  Mr  Young  re- 
quested, and  which  will  be  as  advantageous  to  one  side  as 
the  other. 

I  need  not  tell  you  what  this  bargain  really  means.  It 
means  the  irrigation  of  Newlands,  as  far  as  our  land  goes,  I 
believe ;  and  it  means  the  irrigation  of  Thorndale  as  it  has 
not  been  irrigated  before,  at  anyrate,  in  dry  years. 

Mr  Hultzer  thinks  it  would  pay  if  you  cabled  your  consent, 
as  natives  wish  to  live  in  Newlands  this  season.  Mr  Spindler, 
it  seems,  said  to  Mr  Hultzer,  "This  lightens  my  Gamtoos 
scheme  wonderfully." 


MANY-SIDED  WORK  AT  HANKEY  477 


The  word  consent  would  be  enough  in  your  cable,  and 
certainly  you  will  never  have  consented  to  anything  of  equal 
importance  to  the  Hankey  of  the  future. — Believe  me,  ever 
yours  sincerely,  John  Mackenzie. 

Hankey,  y^/r^7  27M,  1892. 

Dear  Mr  Thompson, — Hankey  has  just  been  visited  by 
an  unusual  downpour  of  rain.  The  Klein  River  is  "  down  " 
in  great  force,  and  the  little  Bingo,  which  you  remember  just 
beyond  the  village  on  your  way  to  Mr  Young's,  has  come 
down  in  a  volume  quite  unknown  to  anyone  in  Hankey.  It 
has  caused  the  death  of  one  of  the  people,  a  man,  and  an 
excellent  swimmer,  who  must  have  attempted  to  cross  it  on 
his  way  home,  as  being  only  the  Bingo.  His  body  was  re- 
covered this  morning  in  the  bed  of  the  Klein  River  below 
the  bridge.  The  bridge,  of  course,  is  temporarily  a  bridge  no 
more,  but  a  log  of  wood  floating  in  the  Klein  River,  moored 
to  a  tree  by  a  chain. 

The  Bingo  rose  to  such  a  height  as  to  carry  clean  away 
the  wooden  aqueduct  by  which  the  water  furrow  for  our 
gardens  and  lands  is  brought  along.  This  was  seen  by 
some  of  the  people,  who  acted  well  and  rescued  the  com- 
ponent parts  of  the  wooden  furrow  or  aqueduct.  They  are 
now  lying  on  the  bank  on  this  side,  not  much  injured,  only 
battered  here  and  there. 

This  accident  has  precipitated  what  must  have  taken  place 
soon — the  taking  down  of  these  wooden  troughs  in  order  to 
enlarge  them  so  as  to  let  an  increased  flow  of  water  come 
down,  and  also  to  raise  them,  so  as  to  make  of  more  use  the 
dam  at  the  corner  of  my  garden.  At  the  present  level  of 
the  big  furrow  it  soon  holds  as  much  as  the  level  of  the 
furrow  permits.  Now  we  want  more  water  in  this  distribut- 
ing dam,  and  in  order  to  get  it,  it  must  be  fed  by  a  furrow  at 
a  higher  level.  We  have,  Mr  Spindler  informs  me,  a  fall  of 
nearly  six  feet  between  our  present  dam  and  this  distributing 
dam.  Two  feet  would  be  enough,  so  we  can  raise  our 
furrow,  and  thus  place  at  the  people's  disposal  a  large  supply 
of  water,  at  the  bare  cost  of  the  enlargement  and  strengthen- 
ing of  the  wooden  aqueduct  now  out  of  order  at  anyrate,  and 
the  adding  to  the  inner  side  of  the  village  furrow  a  suflicient 
embankment  to  bring  down  the  quantity  of  water  which  we 
want. 

Instead  of  putting  in  those  light  wooden  poles  in  the  bed 


478 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


of  the  Bingo,  and  to  be  again  at  the  mercy  of  its  torrent,  I 
propose,  by  the  advice  of  all  the  great  authorities  here,  to 
get,  if  possible,  three  ship's  beams  which  would  be  long 
enough  to  reach  from  one  bank  to  the  other.  They  are 
usually  to  be  had  at  Port  Elizabeth  on  reasonable  terms, 
being  from  wrecks.  So  we  are  writing  by  this  post  to  try 
and  secure  them  and  the  necessary  timber  to  enlarge  the 
water-shoot. 

Sunday  before  last  I  was  to  have  been  up  the  Gamtoos 
River,  but  our  deacon  Solomon  Felix,  sent  a  note  to  recom- 
mend that  I  postpone  my  visit  till  last  Sunday,  in  order  to 
give  more  people  notice.  I  did  so,  and  went  up  last  Satur- 
day, accompanied  by  Mr  Ingram.  I  was  advised  to  write  to 
Mr  Gert  Kok,  a  farmer  at  Quagg,  who  has  the  best  place  for 
holding  a  service.  I  did  so,  and  was  well  received  and 
entertained  by  him.  The  place  is  used  by  him  as  a  store, 
but  in  a  few  minutes,  by  willing  hands,  it  is  changed  into  a 
place  of  worship,  and  on  this  occasion  Mr  Kok's  sister 
speedily  covered  with  cloth  the  packing-case  which  served  as 
a  pulpit.  I  believe  the  place  holds  some  200,  and  it  was 
quite  full.  A  third  of  the  number,  perhaps,  were  Europeans. 
The  morning  and  afternoon  services  were  in  Dutch,  so  that 
all  could  understand.  After  the  morning  service  we  had  a 
meeting  of  the  members  of  the  native  church,  at  which  the 
names  of  two  deacons  were  approved  of  for  their  district. 
The  Europeans  are,  of  course,  chiefly  members  of  the 
Humansdorp  Dutch  Reformed  Church,  and  I  understand 
the  Rev.  Mr  Groenewald,  their  pastor,  occasionally  visits 
Quagg  and  holds  services  in  this  large  room.  I  found  they 
had  no  appliances  for  an  evening  meeting,  which  I  should 
have  been  glad  to  hold  in  English.  So  Mr  Ingram  and  I 
resolved  to  come  home,  as  the  clouds  were  threatening  up 
the  Gamtoos.  It  was  well  we  did,  or  otherwise  we  should 
still  have  been  on  the  wrong  side  of  the  river. 

Next  Sunday,  according  to  a  promise  of  long  standing,  I 
am  going  to  Kreisfontein,  that  is,  if  the  Gamtoos  River  kindly 
falls  and  permits  me  to  cross.  I  shall  then  be  in  a  position 
to  enquire  into  the  matters  of  the  loan  and  the  bond  held  by 
Mr  Dahl,  concerning  which  I  have  received,  in  a  letter  from 
Mr  Mudie,  a  copy  of  the  Directors'  "resolutions,  and  your 
accompanying  remarks.  You  may  trust  to  me  to  do  my  best 
in  the  matter. — With  kindest  regards,  yours  sincerely, 

John  Mackenzie. 


MANY-SIDED  WORK  AT  HANKEY  479 


The  following  letter  refers  to  one  of  the  few  occasions 
when  Mackenzie  gave  himself  a  "day  off"  for  sight- 
seeing and  recreation  : — 

Hankey,  25M  May  1892. 
My  Dear  Mr  Oates, — I  have  only  time  to  say  to-day  that 

I  shall  do  my  best  for  Mr  ;  and  I  think  he  will  get  on 

well  if  he  adapts  himself  to  the  circumstances  which  I 
described  to  you. 

We  are  jogging  on  here,  making  some  progress,  I  trust. 
We  had  a  day's  outing  yesterday,  and  went  to  the  top  of  the 
hill  in  our  neighbourhood,  from  which  we  could  get  a  grand 
view  of  the  Gamtoos  River,  above  and  below  Hankey.  From 
a  point  still  higher  (which  some  of  us  visited  a  week  ago)  we 
could  see  the  ocean  dashing  against  the  coast  to  our  south — 
not  more  than  some  12  or  14  miles  as  the  crow  flies.  But 
yesterday  we  went  for  the  view  of  the  winding  Gamtoos,  and 
not  for  the  far-off  view. 

The  road  was  frightful.  Some  of  our  party  went  in  an  ox- 
waggon.  Mrs  Mackenzie  and  one  of  the  girls  went  in  our 
Cape  cart.  But  no  conveyance  would  be  easy  on  such  a 
road.  W^e  got  home,  however,  without  any  accident,  and  I 
rather  pleased  with  the  doings  of  the  two  horses  which  had 
to  pull  the  cart. 

There  is  said  to  be  a  Bushman's  cave  in  our  neighbour- 
hood, with  drawings — almost  unknown.  Indeed  it  may  be 
mythical.  We  must  first  explore  and  ascertain  facts  before 
we  organise  a  party. 

But  time  has  come,  and  I  must  close.  We  all  join  in  kind 
regards. — Ever  yours  sincerely,  John  Mackenzie. 

During  the  year  1892,  he  had  the  pleasure  of 
receiving  as  an  assistant  and  pupil,  Mr  G.  Cullen  H. 
Reed,  a  son  of  the  late  Rev.  Andrew  Reed,  B.A., 
London,  and  a  grandson  of  Mackenzie's  old  and 
most  valued  friend,  the  Rev.  G.  D.  Cullen,  M.A.,  of 
Edinburgh.  Mr  Reed,  who  had  had  a  training  as  an 
engineer,  proved  himself  of  the  greatest  value  to 
Mackenzie,  both  as  an  adviser  and  a  practical  assistant 
in  the  work  which  had  to  be  carried  through ;  for 


48o  JOHN  MACKENZIE 


after  Mr  Spindler  left  Hankey,  there  fell  to  Mackenzie's 
hands  once  more,  as  a  necessary  task,  the  superintend- 
ence of  practical  building  and  engineering  work. 

When  Mr  Reed  left,  in  the  beginning  of  the  next 
year,  Mackenzie  wrote,  saying  : — 

We  are  all  sorry  to  part  from  Mr  Reed.  I  shall  miss  him 
most.  He  was  truly  my  right  hand  man,  and  I  don't  know 
how  much  he  saved  me  in  every  way  he  could. 

Just  before  Mr  Reed  left,  Mackenzie  had  written  as 
follows  : — 

J  any.  29,  1893. — Mr  Reed  is  likely  to  leave  us  soon  now. 
I  have  taken  all  the  services  to-day,  and  I  daresay  I  shall 
find  it  pretty  stiff. 

It  can  only  be  considered  as  a  calamity  to  Mac- 
kenzie's own  life,  as  well  as  to  the  efificiency  of 
his  work,  that  no  successor  to  Mr  Reed  was  found 
and  sent  out  at  this  time. 

One  of  Mackenzie's  chief  aims  in  regard  to  Hankey 
was  to  secure  its  connection  with  Port  Elizabeth  by  a 
railway.  He  knew  that  in  days  to  come  Cape  Town 
must  itself  be  connected  with  Port  Elizabeth  by  a  much 
shorter  route  than  that  which  at  present  goes  around 
through  De  Aar.  If  he  could  hasten  the  building  of 
even  part  of  this  railway  he  would  help  to  bring  that 
consummation  nearer,  and  at  the  same  time  take  the 
longest  step  towards  the  industrial  development  of 
Hankey  and  other  similar  spots  on  the  southern 
coast.  To  further  this  aim  he  stirred  up  a  strong 
local  agitation,  corresponded  personally  with  the 
Government  officers  at  Cape  Town,  and  even  went, 
accompanied  by  Mr  Hultzer,  as  a  deputation,  to  wait 
upon  the  Department  and  urge  their  plea. 

He  assisted  in  drawing  up  the  petition  from  the 
railway  committee  at  Hankey  to  Sir  James  Sievewright, 
Commissioner  of  Crown  Lands  and  Public  Works. 

The  most  obvious  argument  was  based,  of  course, 
upon  the  prosperity  of  the  people,  the  increase  of  the 


MANY-SIDED  WORK  AT  HANKEY  481 


products  from  that  district,  and  the  promise  of  greater 
development  if  the  railway  communication  were  granted 
to  them  ;  but  a  still  stronger  argument  based  this 
appeal  to  the  Government  upon  the  fact  that  the 
Department  of  Public  Works  proposed  to  enter  upon 
expensive  irrigation  schemes  in  other  districts  of  the 
Colony.  These  schemes  could  only  be  made  re- 
munerative to  the  Government  of  the  Colony  if  they 
were  made  tributary  to  its  railway  system.  If,  there- 
fore, the  Government  would  be  forced  to  build  railways 
for  the  districts  which  were  yet  to  be  irrigated,  at  its 
own  expense,  how  much  more  should  this  be  done  for 
a  district  like  Hankey,  where  local  enterprise  and 
industry  had  really  created  an  extensive  irrigation 
system  and  produced  a  condition  of  affairs  deserving 
not  only  of  praise,  but  of  practical  encouragement. 

It  was  with  great  delight  that  Mackenzie  heard, 
after  long  consideration  and  discussion,  that  a  survey  of 
the  district  was  being  undertaken,  although  the  actual 
building  of  the  railway  must  be  postponed.  He  had  to 
be  content  with  some  minor  improvements  in  the  way  of 
better  district  roads,  and  some  valuable  bridge  building. 

Another  discussion  which  Mackenzie  had  with  the 
Government  may  be  described  here,  for  the  light  it 
throws  upon  yet  another  side  of  his  own  varied 
activities  in  Hankey.  The  nearest  doctor,  when  the 
Mackenzies  arrived  there,  lived  twenty  miles  away  ; 
and  many  hardships  were  endured  around  them  in 
consequence  of  this. 

A  movement  in  1896,  for  the  appointment  by 
Government  of  a  district  surgeon  at  Hankey,  led  to 
the  following  letter  : — 

Hankey,  26///  May  1896. 

Dr  Turner,  etc.,  etc.. 
Board  of  Health,  Cape  Town. 

Sir, — I  beg  to  bring  under  your  notice  the  neglected 
condition  of  this  district  as  to  medical  advice  and  attendance. 
I  may  mention  that  a  petition  from  the  people  of  the  district 

2  H 


482 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


was  sent  to  Government  some  time  ago  on  the  subject,  and 
that  more  recently  I  directed  the  present  Colonial  Secretary's 
attention  to  it. 

At  the  last  census  there  were  over  1200  people  in  Hankey 
and  neighbourhood.  Both  sides  of  the  Gamtoos  River — above 
us  and  below  us — support  a  large  population. 

There  is  at  present  only  one  district  surgeon,  who  resides  at 
the  village  of  Humansdorp. 

Our  request  is  that  a  second  district  surgeon  should  be 
appointed  for  a  subdivision  of  Humansdorp  district,  who 
should  reside  in  Hankey,  and  who  should  have  charge  of 
the  Eastern  part  of  this  wide  district. 

I  have  carried  our  request  beyond  this,  and  represented  to 
Government  that,  instead  of  being  left  as  we  are  at  present, 
there  should  not  only  be  a  district  surgeon  here,  but  that  a 
Government  assistant  dispensary  should  also  be  opened  at 
this  central  place  for  the  benefit  of  the  poor  among  both 
white  and  coloured  people. 

Although  we  are  fifty  miles  from  Port  Elizabeth,  the 
coloured  people  of  Hankey  are  very  closely  connected 
with  that  town,  as  servants,  etc.  It  is  natural  that  when 
they  become  ill  there  they  should  come  home;  but  once 
here  they  are  beyond  the  reach  of  such  medical  attendance 
as  they  can  pay  for.  I  need  hardly  say  that  it  is  a  very 
serious  thing  for  people  with  diseases  contracted  in  a  seaport 
remaining  without  suitable  medical  attendance. 

Then,  wdth  reference  to  the  registration  of  deaths,  the 
alleged  cause  of  death  among  this  very  considerable  popula- 
tion is  at  present  only  the  guess  of  unskilled  people. 

To  myself  this  subject  has  also  a  personal  reference,  which 
I  must  not  omit. 

When  a  missionary  in  Bechuanaland  I  was  for  many  years 
accustomed  to  attend  medically,  not  only  my  own  family, 
but  European  traders  and  hunters,  as  well  as  the  natives 
in  whose  country  I  was  living.  When  I  came  to  Hankey  in 
1 89 1  nothing  w^as  further  from  my  mind  than  that  I  should 
be  called  upon  to  prescribe  for  ailing  people.  But  I  soon 
found  it  was  otherwise.  Both  white  and  coloured  people 
begged  my  assistance,  and  I  had  not  the  heart  to  refuse.  I 
could  not  but  see  that  when  the  travelling  expenses  were 
added  to  a  doctor's  bill,  it  would  be  beyond  the  means  of 
those  people — of  many  of  the  white  people  as  well  as  of  the 
coloured  people. 


MANY-SIDED  WORK  AT  HANKEY  483 


Dr  Beckett,  who  was  in  poor  health  at  the  time,  settled  in 
Hankey  last  year.  Of  course,  when  he  arrived  I  ceased  en- 
tirely to  have  anything  to  do  with  medicine,  taking  everybody 
over  to  the  doctor's  house. 

We  first  petitioned  for  Government  assistance  while  Dr 
Beckett  was  living  here.  When  no  favourable  reply  came 
to  our  request  Dr  Beckett  removed  from  Hankey.  Matters 
here  have  reverted  to  their  former  most  unsatisfactory  con- 
dition. I  am  attending  people  and  administering  medicine 
every  day,  not  only  spending  a  considerable  portion  of  my 
time  and  not  a  small  amount  of  my  own  money  on  medicine 
but  Hable  to  be  told,  and  I  suppose  to  be  told  correctly,  that 
I  am  breaking  the  law  of  the  Colony. 

Now  I  am  entirely  unwilling  to  go  on  with  this,  and  I  feel 
sure  the  Cape  Colony  Government  is  in  a  position  to  do  better 
than  this  for  the  people  of  this  district. 

I  am  told  that  in  other  parts  of  the  Colony  similar  sub- 
divisions of  districts  have  taken  place.  I  am  told  also  that 
special  arrangements  have  been  made  elsewhere  for  the 
assistance  of  really  poor  people  to  procure  medicine  and 
medical  attendance.  I  beg  to  call  your  special  attention  to 
our  case,  and  hope  you  will  be  able  to  assist  us.  I  should 
have  addressed  you  earlier,  but  was  ignorant  of  the  scope  of 
your  duties. 

The  case,  as  I  have  said,  is  in  the  Colonial  Secretary's 
hands.  As  he  is  a  medical  man  himself  I  am  counting  upon 
the  sympathy  of  Dr  Te  Water,  and  feel  sure  that  on  full 
enquiry  both  you  and  he  will  be  convinced  that  the  small 
extra  outlay  in  granting  our  request  will  be  more  than  repaid 
by  the  improved  and  satisfactory  condition  of  the  district 
from  a  medical  point  of  view. — I  have  the  honour  to  remain, 
your  obedient  servant,  John  Mackenzie. 

The  following  extract  from  a  letter  written  by  one 
who  had  a  good  opportunity  of  watching  Mackenzie 
at  work  in  this  little  community  for  a  while,  gives  a 
vivid  account  of  the  manner  of  his  procedure  : — 

He  can  wait,  and  if  you  cannot  do  that  here,  you  are  not 
good  for  much.  The  things  he  has  had  to  stand,  the  bicker- 
ings, trials,  small  intrigues,  and  insults,  are  incredible.  They 
would  have  sent  some  other  man  mad  in  a  month.  And 
what  has  come  of  it  all  ?    He  has  the  rudder  in  his  hand. 


484 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


and  he  practically  steers  everything.  And  the  funny  thing 
is,  that  all  the  steering  is  done  through  the  people  themselves, 
through  advice,  hints,  new  ideas  sown  amongst  them.  In  all 
public  meetings,  board  meetings,  etc.,  Mr  Mackenzie  is  present, 
although  he  does  not  always  take  the  chair.  He  conducts  the 
meetings  all  the  same.  He  sits  at  the  top  of  the  hall,  amongst 
the  people,  and  sets  one  idea  starting  in  one  direction,  and 
another  m  another,  then  caps  them  with  his  own  speech,  and 
so  carries  the  affair  on.  It  is  a  perfect  study  to  an  onlooker. 
And  what  is  the  result  of  it  all  ?  Why,  the  place  is  changed. 
Hankey  is  getting  known.  Farmers  who  never  looked  at  each 
other  before  are  now  on  visiting,  and  in  some  cases,  intimate 
terms. 

Throughout  these  varied  activities  Mackenzie's 
interest  in  his  purely  religious  work  never  flagged. 
He  would  sit  for  hours  in  the  evening  with  a  group 
of  native  deacons,  working  over  the  minutest  details 
connected  with  the  pastoral  supervision  of  his  wide 
parish.  His  preaching,  of  which  we  shall  speak 
again  later,  was  always  very  practical  and  intensely 
earnest.  It  seems  to  have  reached  its  highest  mark 
on  communion  Sundays.  In  preparation  for  the 
celebration  of  the  Lord's  Supper,  and  at  the  Table 
itself,  whose  significance  he  ever  revered  most  humbly 
and  most  deeply,  his  manner  became  peculiarly  tender 
and  his  voice  thrilled  with  emotion.  And  Mackenzie 
had  the  joy  of  seeing  the  fruits  of  his  labours  as  a 
preacher  of  the  Gospel.  Not  only  was  the  religious 
life  of  some  of  the  Europeans  visibly  and  avowedly 
deepened  ;  he  also  received  considerable  additions  of 
the  coloured  people  into  membership  of  the  church 
from  time  to  time.  He  was  not  one,  however,  who 
at  any  period  of  his  missionary  career  felt  it  right 
to  speak  of  the  numbers  whom  he  had  led  to 
Christ. 

He  made  frequent  visits  to  the  out-stations  and 
distant  parts  of  the  district  under  his  care.  On  some 
of  these  occasions   his   services  were  conducted  in 


MANY-SIDED  WORK  AT  HANKEY  485 


peculiar  places  and  under  trying  circumstances. 
The  following  descriptions  of  two  or  three  incidents 
by  one  of  his  daughters,  Mrs  E.  D.  Sheilds,  help 
us  to  realise  more  vividly  the  actual  work  : 

Thornhill 

One  Sunday  my  father  and  I  spent  at  Thornhill. 

During  the  week  the  news  had  passed  from  farm  to  farm 
that  on  Sunday  "Meinheer"  would  preach.  By  courtesy 
of  the  blacksmith  these  services  were  held  in  the  smithy, 
a  long  plank  building  with  iron  roof  and  two  doors  opposite 
each  other. 

We  walked  up  from  the  inn  about  a  mile  distant,  enjoying 
as  we  went  the  luxuriance  of  the  vegetation  and  the  green- 
ness of  the  grass  after  the  recent  rains.  As  we  came  near 
to  the  smithy,  clouds  of  dust  were  issuing  from  the  doors, 
for  the  native  deacon  was  sweeping  it  out.  Accustomed 
to  the  irregularity  caused  by  differences  in  time,  we  spread 
a  plaid  in  the  shade  of  a  tree  and  rested.  In  time  the 
natives  assembled  and  sat  on  seats  formed  by  planks 
resting  at  each  end  on  naves  of  v/heels.  When  we  entered 
we  found  about  thirty  natives,  labourers  from  adjoining 
farms.  At  the  back  of  the  smithy  stood  a  Cape  cart  in 
course  of  being  mended. 

Two  chairs  were  placed  near  the  anvil  with  their  backs 
towards  the  empty  furnace  and  in  full  light  of  the  two 
doors.  A  table  was  in  front  of  the  chair  used  by  my 
father.  The  other  chair,  as  I  had  declined  it,  was  occupied 
by  the  deacon. 

The  small  congregation  was  composed  of  people  of  all 
ages,  women  carrying  babies,  old  men,  youths,  and  large 
boys  with  that  almost  preternatural  solemnity  with  which 
black  boys  are  gifted. 

The  service  was  simple,  and  the  address  in  Dutch  listened 
to  with  deep  attention.  I  remember  that  the  preacher  was 
trying  to  impress  on  their  minds  a  sense  of  the  reality  of 
the  spiritual  life.  He  said  to  them  "  When  you  look  at  me, 
what  do  you  see?  Do  you  think  you  see  me?  You  see 
my  body  but  me  you  cannot  see.  My  body  is  my  home 
while  I  am  on  the  earth.  When  we  die,  we  leave  the  empty 
shell  behind,  we  do  not  die." 


486  JOHN  MACKENZIE 


Thus  in  simple  words  he  raised  their  minds  to  the 
contemplation  of  the  life  beyond  this  and  of  the  hopes 
of  the  Christian. 

Kleinfontein  Funeral 

At  Kleinfontein,  about  six  miles  from  Hankey,  a  sad 
accident  had  happened.  A  farmer's  son  had  been  gored 
to  death  by  a  buck  which  he  had  wounded  a  few  minutes 
before. 

It  was  summertime  and  very  hot ;  yet  because  the  road 
to  the  place  was  too  bad  for  a  Cape  cart  my  father  decided 
to  ride.  Accompanied  by  Mr  Ingram  and  Mr  George 
Crawford,  we  had  a  ride  over  the  hills  in  the  burning 
sun. 

At  last  we  came  to  the  edge  of  a  chff,  and  away  down 
in  the  valley  below  us  lay  the  white  farmhouse  and  its 
out-buildings.  On  the  sward  around  the  house  were  the 
waggons,  carts  and  horses  of  those  attending  the  funeral. 
In  order  to  reach  the  house  we  had  to  dismount  and 
lead  the  horses  down  a  steep  decline,  almost  too  rough 
and  steep  for  us  to  walk  down  ourselves ;  at  the  bottom 
we  remounted  an.d  crossed  a  rocky  stream. 

It  is  extremely  difficult  for  me  to  realize  that  at  that 
time  my  father  was  fifty-eight  years  of  age.  Now  I  can 
see  that  for  a  man  of  his  age  this  kind  of  travelling  was 
much  too  trying. 

In  front  of  the  house,  in  the  shade  of  a  tree,  the  funeral 
service  was  held.  When  amid  deep  silence  the  beautiful 
voice  had  spoken  words  of  comfort  and  hope,  the  sad  pro- 
cession was  formed.  The  coffin  was  carried  by  the  dead 
youth's  "  mates,"  as  the  Dutch  would  put  it,  up  a  narrow 
red  path  and  laid  in  a  grave  on  the  hillside  in  view  of 
the  house.  The  burial  service  was  read  and  the  customary 
handfuls  of  earth  were  thrown  in,  rushes  were  strewed  on 
the  coffin,  and  we  returned  to  the  homestead. 


After  an  interval  in  which  coffee  and  cake  were  handed 
round,  there  was  a  general  "  inspanning  "  of  horses  and  oxen 
and  a  saddling  up  of  riding  horses.  We  rode  home  through 
the  valleys — for  there  were  more  than  one — in  the  evening 
sunshine,  having  to  cross  the  same  stream  half-a-dozen 
times,  as  the  road  wound  downwards  with  the  river. 


MANY-SIDED  WORK  AT  HANKEY  487 


FiNGO  Church 

It  was  summertime.  The  sun  had  set,  illuminating  with 
golden  light  the  fertile  valley,  the  red  kranzes,  and  the 
distant  mountains.  In  the  village  the  usual  evening  occupa- 
tions were  being  concluded.  The  natives  who  had  cows  or 
goats  had  milked  them,  and  put  them  in  the  kraals  made  of 
thorn  bushes  or  of  aloe  hedge.  At  last  the  many  sounds 
of  village  life  gave  place  to  a  quiet  which  was  broken  only 
now  and  then  by  sounds  of  laughter  or  of  talking,  and  here 
and  there  the  lights  of  the  cottages  shone  out. 

We  also  had  had  our  cows  milked  and  led  into  the  cow- 
shed. The  horses  came  up  from  their  evening  drink  at  the 
stream.  My  father,  walking  or  standing  in  the  large  yard 
with  one  of  his  daughters  or  a  grandchild  with  him,  looked 
with  critical  eye  at  the  animals,  patted  and  spoke  to  one  or 
other  of  them,  and  made  some  remark  to  the  native  boy 
about  them.  Then  we  had  our  evening  meal,  the  hour  of 
which  followed  in  primitive  fashion  the  coming  on  of  dark- 
ness. This  evening  we  were  slightly  earlier  than  usual,  as 
my  father  had  to  go  over  to  a  meeting  in  the  Fingo  Church. 

The  native  minister,  whose  name  is  Nathaniel  Matodlana, 
had  on  different  occasions  had  troublous  times  in  his  church. 
Many  a  time  he  came  over  and  held  long  talks  with  my 
father,  receiving  the  help  he  sought.  On  this  occasion  he 
had  asked  my  father  to  go  over  and  listen  to  the  discussion 
of  some  irritating  question  by  the  native  deacons  and  advise 
with  them. 

I  went  to  keep  my  father  company.  We  had  to  drive  in 
the  starlight,  through  the  river  and  up  the  steep  hill  to  the 
Fingo  village  where  the  white  church  shone  through  the 
dark.  We  entered  the  church  and  waited  for  a  time  till  the 
deacons  dropped  in,  dressed  in  their  Sunday  clothes. 

The  discussion  was  carried  on  in  two  languages,  Dutch 
and  Kaffir.  Those  of  the  deacons  who  could  only  speak 
Kaffir  fluently  were  interpreted  by  their  minister  into  Dutch. 
Now  and  then  my  father  would  put  a  question  to  him  in 
English,  which  he  also  knew  well. 

One  after  another  the  disputants  rose  and  spoke, 
vehemently  or  not  as  the  case  might  be,  but  all  lengthily 
and  some  with  a  certain  rough  oratory.  Time  passed,  and 
my  father  sat  almost  silent  while  the  case  was  being  argued 
out.    Now  and  then  he  rose  and  brought  them  back  to  the 


488 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


point  at  issue,  perhaps  making  clear  to  them  the  position 
they  had  reached  and  giving  them  a  lead  in  the  right 
direction.  As  time  wore  on  lines  of  physical  tiredness 
showed  themselves  on  his  face,  but  no  sign  of  haste  or 
wish  to  curtail  matters  was  visible, 

I  had  been  watching  the  scene  from  a  side  bench,  with 
the  eye  of  one  gazing  on  a  picture  of  the  struggle  between 
good  and  evil,  between  light  and  darkness.  The  full  light 
of  the  one  hanging  lamp  shone  on  the  grand  head,  the  hair 
nearly  white,  the  noble  brow  and  the  strong,  patient,  tired 
face.  Before  him,  the  first  row  in  full  light,  the  second  row 
half  in  the  shadow,  were  the  dark  faces  of  eight  or  nine  men, 
with  evil  passions  struggling  for  mastery. 

At  last,  after  a  discussion  of  nearly  three  hours'  duration, 
they  were  addressed  by  "  Meinheer,"  whom  they  all  honoured. 
The  case  was  summed  up  by  him,  his  conclusions  based  on 
reasons  made  clear  to  them.  Then  came  the  fresh  cool  air, 
the  drive  home,  the  splashing  of  the  water,  as  the  eager 
horses  trotted  into  the  river. 

While  Mackenzie  v^as  thus  engaged  in  the  in- 
dustrial and  spiritual  development  of  the  community, 
he  was  also  deeply  interested  in,  as  well  as  responsible 
for  the  educational  work.  The  district  school,  which 
was  annually  visited  by  a  Government  inspector,  and 
which  earned  a  Government  grant,  was  watched  over 
by  him  with  very  great  care,  especially  as  his  own 
daughters  became  teachers  in  it.  He  had  not  been 
in  Hankey  long  before  extensive  educational  plans 
began  to  germinate  in  his  mind.  If  Hankey  was  to 
become  a  rich,  fruit-farming  district,  connected  by 
railway  with  Port  Elizabeth,  and  later  with  Cape 
Town,  why  should  it  not  also  become  a  great  educa- 
tional centre,  the  Lovedale  of  that  portion  of  the 
Colony  ?  The  Society  owned  a  rich  estate,  which 
could  be  made  in  many  ways  to  subserve  such  an 
enterprise.  In  his  imagination  he  saw  arising  there 
a  school  for  the  general  education  and  manual  training 
of  coloured  boys  and  girls  ;  who  should  be  sent  out 
thoroughly  fitted   for  an  active  and  earnest  life  as 


MANY-SIDED  WORK  AT  HANKEY  489 


school-workers,  and  whose  exertions  should  help  to 
stir  ambitions  in  the  sluggish  hearts  of  other  members 
of  their  race.  He  saw  also  an  advanced  school  for 
the  training  of  native  preachers,  a  theological  institu- 
tion that  should  provide  trained  men  for  the  ordained 
ministry  among  the  coloured  churches. 

In  the  last  year  of  his  life  he  was  working  upon 
this  project  for  a  school,  and  carried  on  constant 
correspondence  concerning  it,  not  only  with  the 
Directors  of  the  Society  in  London,  but  with  his 
old  friend  Mr  Henry  Beard  of  Cape  Town.  From 
a  very  interesting  account  of  his  relations  with 
Mackenzie  and  estimate  of  his  life-work  and  character, 
kindly  supplied  by  Mr  Beard,  the  following  paragraphs 
may  be  selected  as  relevant  here  : — 

Of  these  results  in  reference  to  the  temporalities  at 
Hankey,  a  London  merchant  of  large  business  experience, 
who  visited  Hankey  in  1897,  in  the  interests  of  the  London 
Missionary  Society,  wrote  to  me  in  the  following  words : 
John  Mackenzie  is  doing  well ;  he  is  consolidating  the 
estate  and  when  he  leaves,  I  am  confident  it  will  be  more 
valuable  than  ever  it  was."  To  his  friends  it  must  be  one 
of  the  perplexing  instances  of  the  fact  that  God's  "  thoughts 
are  not  our  thoughts,"  to  find  that  he  was  not  permitted  to 
carry  out  these  projects,  to  the  conception  and  advocacy  of 
which  he  had  given  so  much  time  and  thought,  during  the 
later  years  of  his  administration  of  Hankey  Mission  Station. 
He  cleared  the  ground  and  laid  the  foundations,  and  "  another 
buildeth  thereon." 

The  nature  of  the  projects  alluded  to  and  the  considera- 
tions by  which  they  were  supported,  are  strikingly  illustra- 
tive of  the  character  of  one  who  was  eminently  a  practical 
man  of  shrewd  common  sense,  and  yet  was  always  moving 
on  the  plane  of  the  higher  life  and  with  a  simple  directness 
pursuing  the  highest  ends.  Mr  Mackenzie  was  of  opinion 
that  the  estate  could  be  profitably  devoted  to  fruit-growing. 
He  looked  for  this  to  be  carried  out  by  means  of  a  com- 
mercial association  in  the  hands  of  business  men,  who  would 
work  the  industry  on  lines  that  would  yield  a  moderate  return 
on  the  capital,  but  who  would  not  be  indifferent  to  the  interests 


490 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


of  the  labourers,  whose  advantage  was  Mr  Mackenzie's  primary 
aim.  In  a  memorandum  on  the  whole  subject,  he  made 
suggestions  as  to  two  modes  of  dealing  with  the  matter  from 
the  business  point  of  view,  but  he  added,  "You  will  not 
expect  me  to  go  into  the  strain  of  a  company  floater  " — a 
bit  of  quiet  humour,  very  characteristic.  For  to  anyone 
who  knew  him,  nothing  could  be  more  amusing  than  this 
ironical  suggestion  of  John  Mackenzie  as  a  company 
promoter.  He  was  content,  having  pointed  out  the  way 
in  such  matters,  to  leave  the  carrying  out  to  others,  while 
he  busied  himself  with  other  aspects  of  the  project,  the 
higher  interests  which  it  was  to  subserve.  Still,  while  turn- 
ing his  attention  more  to  the  details  of  those  higher  interests, 
he  looked  to  the  fruit-growing  scheme  as  one  not  simply  to 
bring  regular  wages  to  his  people,  but  to  "  introduce  fresh 
ideas  and  liberal  thoughts."  Another  of  his  proposals  was 
for  the  establishment  at  Hankey  of  a  school  of  higher  grade 
than  the  mission  school,  for  the  children  of  the  better  class 
in  the  coloured  churches  throughout  the  colony,  with  manual 
training  for  both  girls  and  boys.  In  connection  with  this, 
he  proposed  to  have  a  class  for  Evangelists,  eventually  from 
those  who  had  attended  the  school,  who  would  be  qualified 
for  their  work  by  a  course  of  sound  Biblical  instruction, 
supplemented  by  Evangelistic  work  in  the  neighbourhood. 
While  submitting  his  schemes  to  the  London  Missionary 
Society  and  his  friends,  he  proceeded  to  have  the  bricks 
made  for  the  four  to  six  cottages  which  were  to  be  provided 
for  the  Evangelists.  He  reported  that  these  bricks  were 
made  as  payment  of  what  otherwise  would  be  bad  debts, 
and  that  if  his  proposals  are  not  accepted,  which  he  cannot 
anticipate,  the  bricks  can  be  sold — a  worthy  example  of 
Scottish  prudence  in  pushing  a  forward  policy.  This  project 
of  religious  education  he  urged  upon  the  Missionary  Society, 
as  a  fitting  development  and  coping-stone  of  all  its  earlier 
work  in  the  Colony,  from  which  it  is  finally  withdrawing. 
In  the  same  memorandum  he  detailed  the  wants  of  the 
Dutch-speaking  and  the  Fingo  coloured  people,  and  pro- 
posed to  provide  adequately  for  the  pastoral  care  of  both, 
and  even  of  European  residents,  as  a  part  of  the  whole 
scheme  and  in  connection  with  the  foregoing.  There  is 
the  impress  of  the  man  of  broad  views  throughout  the 
entire  document  and  its  proposals. 

The  Institution  of  Hankey  is  to  be  for  the  enrichment 


MANY-SIDED  WORK  AT  HANKEY  491 


of  South  Africa,  because  it  \s'ould  come  to  be  a  centre  of 
more  valuable  influence  in  a  country  which  is  undoubtedly 
so  much  in  need  of  it.  The  presence  of  missionaries  coming 
direct  from  England  is  to  be  desired,  not  only  for  the  sake 
of  the  churches  that  they  serve,  but  because  it  has  a  bene- 
ficial effect  on  colonial  society,  when  "there  is  a  strong 
tendency  in  the  Cape  Colony  to  level  downwards  towards 
the  Transvaal  policy  !  " 

While  it  is  true,  as  we  have  seen,  that  Mackenzie 
was  able  to  watch  some  of  the  best  blessings  flowing 
from  his  labours  in  Hankey,  it  ought  to  be  said  that 
he  was  not  one  of  those  who  cherish  an  impatient 
eagerness  for  a  visible  and  personal  triumph,  or  even 
for  palpable  and  measurable  "  results."  Two  extracts 
bearing  on  this  very  point  may  be  given  here  from 
letters  to  his  dear  friend,  Mr  Charles  G.  Oates  : — 

Hankey,  13//;  Dec.  1895. 
Allow  me,  dear  friend,  to  send  you  very  warm  greetings  at 
the  close  of  the  year,  and  best  wishes  for  1896  and  for  all  your 
future.  It  has  occurred  to  me  to  mention  to  you  what  I 
have  often  taken  to  heart  as  a  lesson  :  that  results  are  in 
the  hands  of  God.  It  is  for  us  to  do  our  work  faithfully 
— that  is  our  part.  When  we  come  short  in  that,  as  alas  ! 
we  do,  we  must  be  humbled  and  sorry ;  but  as  to  the 
results,  they  are  not  our  department — they  are  in  God's 
hands. 

June  25,  1897. 

There  is  one  thought  in  connection  with  this  that  1  want 
to  mention  to  you,  if  I  have  not  done  so  before,  and  it  is 
this.  I  think  you  did  all  your  share  of  what  might  have 
been  a  most  gratifying  success.  The  actual  outcome  does 
not  change  what  you  did ;  that  lies  with  others ;  and  part 
of  it  with  Him  who  is  over  us  all,  and  whose  orderings, 
however  mysterious  and  at  times  disappointing,  are  yet 
the  expression  of  a  Father's  wisdom  and  love.  A  succes- 
sion of  bad  seasons,  and  the  approach  of  an  insidious 
disease,  combined  to  make  commercial  success  impossible 

to  poor  .     From  all  I  can  gather,  however, 

he  himself  seems  to  have  become  more  spiritually  minded 
during  his  last  illness. 


492 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


During  the  Hankey  years,  Mackenzie's  domestic 
life  had  some  elements  of  joy  and  some  of  sorrow 
which  he  had  hardly  tasted  before.  He  now  had 
a  home  for  his  daughters,  to  which  also  two  of  his 
sons  were  able  to  make  occasional  visits,  and  in 
which  he  had  the  peculiar  and  tender  delight  of 
sometimes  seeing  little  grandchildren  running  about. 
He,  of  course,  won  their  hearts  as  completely  as  they 
won  his.  In  January  1895,  he,  for  the  first  time, 
gave  away  one  of  his  daughters  in  marriage,  when 
Jane  Alice  became  the  wife  of  James  Campbell 
Rodger,  now  of  Bulawayo,  Rhodesia.  He  passed 
through  a  very  strange  and  painful  experience,  how- 
ever, when  he  received  a  succession  of  announcements 
from  Scotland  within  a  few  weeks  or  months  of  each 
other,  of  the  deaths  of  his  own  brother  and  his  four 
sisters.  To  this  he  refers  in  a  letter  which  he  wrote 
to  Mr  Charles  Oates,  regarding  the  death  of  his  re- 
maining brother,  Mr  W.  E.  Oates  : — 

Hankey,  Cape  Colony, 
^th  May  1896. 

My  Dear  Friend, — Your  letter  with  the  very  sad  news 
from  Madeira  has  just  come  to  hand;  and  I  have  the 
opportunity  of  at  once  acknowledging  it.  I  have  also 
received  the  Suffolk  and  Essex  Free  Press,  which  contains 
some  mention  of  your  brother  as  known  to  his  neighbours. 
.  .  .  I  send  you  this  note  at  once,  to  be,  as  it  were,  a  grasp 
of  the  hand,  at  this  time  of  great  sorrow  which  has  come  to 
you.  Mrs  Mackenzie  and  I  deeply  sympathise  with  your 
sister-in-law  in  her  deep  affliction,  and  my  heart  is  sore  for 
the  dear  children  who  lose  so  tender  and  loving  a  father. 

Do  not  lose  heart  in  your  loneliness — grasp  the  pilgrim- 
staff  more  firmly.  Each  one  of  us  must  work  out  his  day 
resolutely  and  with  his  very  best  efforts.  The  Master  has 
still  something  for  us  to  do.  Others  drop  from  our  side ; 
we  work  and  wait  his  call.  I  think  I  mentioned  to  you 
that  soon  after  I  came  here  my  only  brother  and  four 
sisters — all  of  them  older  than  myself — followed  one  another 
within  a  short  time  to  the  grave.    It  made  a  deep  and,  I 


MANY-SIDED  WORK  AT  HANKEY  493 


trust,  abiding  impression  on  my  mind,  as  the  solitary  re- 
maining one  of  the  family.  But  some  time  after,  in  writing 
to  a  young  friend  about  this,  I  remarked  that,  notwithstand- 
ing what  had  happened,  I  might  hve  to  be  as  old  as  Old 
Parr.  Each  one  is  immortal  till  his  work  is  done. — We  join 
in  sincerest  sympathy,  and  I  remain  ever  yours  sincerely, 

John  Mackenzie. 


CHAPTER  XIX 


AFRICA  LAST  CONTRIBUTIONS  TO  IMPERIAL 

POLITICS  (1892- I  898) 

When  Mackenzie  went  to  Hankey,  he  knew  that 
his  political  history  was  practically  at  an  end,  that 
from  that  spot  he  could  never  continuously  influence 
public  opinion,  either  at  home  or  in  South  Africa. 
And  indeed,  as  we  have  seen,  the  work  which  he  had 
undertaken  was  so  extensive  and  so  absorbing  that 
for  many  months  he  hardly  allowed  himself  to  read 
the  newspapers,  or  to  think  of  the  outside  world. 
But  as  affairs  at  Hankey  came  gradually  under 
control,  his  mind  could  not  but  return  to  the  wider 
interests  with  which  he  had  been  so  closely  identified. 
From  the  year  1892  his  correspondence  in  various 
directions  shows  how  closely  he  watched  political 
events,  and  how  earnestly  he  tried,  in  what  ways  were 
possible  to  him,  to  reach  the  minds  of  those  who 
wielded  power  in  London  or  at  Cape  Town. 

In  1895  he  welcomed  Mr  Chamberlain  to  the 
Colonial  Office  with  peculiar  delight  and  expectancy. 
At  this  time  he  wrote  to  his  third  son,  now  a  barrister 
at  Kimberley,  as  follows  : — 

Hankey,  ind July  1895. 
My  Dear  Jim, — It  is  a  wonderful  change  from  Lord 
Ripon  to  Mr  Chamberlain  at  the  Colonial  Office.  Annexa- 
tion is  not  now  quite  where  it  would  have  been,  or  might 
have  been  in  Ripon's  hands. 

Of  course,  it  will  depend  on  what  has  been  done  by  the 
late  ministry. 
494 


IMPERIAL  POLITICS  495 


So  far  as  I  am  personally  concerned,  there  is  no  first- 
class  statesman  who  has  so  identified  himself  with  my  views 
as  Mr  Chamberlain  has  done.  It  so  happens  that  a  letter 
of  mine  to  him  is  now  on  the  ocean,  referring  to  annexation 
especially,  and  saying  what  I  think  should  be  done.  This 
was,  of  course,  to  enable  him  effectually  to  oppose  the  ex- 
pulsion of  the  Imperial  Government  from  active  affairs  in 
South  Africa  ;  for  that  is  what  Mr  Rhodes  really  means — 
the  Cape  Colony  to  get  one  slice,  and  the  Chartered 
Company  the  other  slice,  of  old  Bechuanaland. 

It  may  all  happen  yet ;  but  it  is  not  quite  so  likely  now. 
We  are  all  in  God's  hands.  I  hear  from  Bechuanaland 
that  people — white  people — informed  Reuter,  Cape  Town, 
that  a  petition  (or  petitions)  was  in  circulation  against 
annexation.  Reuter  did  not  publish  the  information  ;  but 
he  published  the  views  of  a  Mr  Theal  who  is  up  there,  and 
wired  them  over  the  Colony.  This  gentleman  is,  1  believe, 
a  land  surveyor,  and  has  a  right  to  his  view,  which  is  for 
annexation. 

Shortly  after  Mr  Chamberlain's  appointment,  two 
remarkable  events  occurred,  which  focussed  attention 
upon  the  new  Secretary.  The  first  was  the  re- 
appointment of  Sir  Hercules  Robinson  (later  Lord 
Rosmead),  as  High  Commissioner  for  South  Africa 
and  Governor  of  Cape  Colony.  There  can  be  no 
doubt  that  this  most  unexpected  step  was  taken  at 
the  instance  of  Mr  Rhodes,  and  that  its  fruit  was 
seen  in  a  few  months'  time,  when  the  Jameson 
Raid  occurred. 

The  other  event  was  the  visit  to  England  of  three 
Bechuanaland  chiefs,  of  whom,  of  course,  the  best 
known  and  most  powerful  was  Khame.  They  went 
to  England  expressly  to  protest  against  the  pro- 
posal that  North  Bechuanaland  should  be  handed 
over  by  the  Imperial  Government  to  the  Chartered 
Company. 

It  is  aside  from  our  story  to  narrate  the  interesting 
and  impressive  progress  which  Khame  made  through 
England  and  Scotland,  and  the  agreement  at  which 


496 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


Mr  Chamberlain  arrived,  by  which  a  strip  of  Khame  s 
territory  on  his  eastern  border — which  was  not  to 
exceed,  at  its  widest,  ten  miles — was  handed  over 
to  the  Company  for  the  purpose  of  building  a  railway 
to  Bulawayo.  It  was  in  connection  with  the  proposed 
annexation  of  North  Bechuanaland,  which  Khame's 
visit  defeated,  that  Mackenzie  wrote  the  following 
important  letter  to  Mr  Chamberlain  : — 

Han  KEY,  Cape  Colony, 
i\th  July  1 89 5. 

Dear  Mr  Chamberlain, — I  regard  it  as  remarkable  that 
I  should  have  felt  moved  to  write  to  you  as  I  did  some  weeks 
ago  on  South  African  affairs.  I  had  been  silent  for  years. 
But  the  time  to  speak  out  and  prevent  weak  people  from 
doing  wrong,  partly  from  ignorance,  partly  from  weakness, 
seemed  to  have  come.  Little  did  I  think  that  my  letter 
would  find  you  in  charge  of  the  Colonial  Department.  Of 
course,  so  far  as  pushing  one's  views  is  concerned,  I  have 
been  personally  out  of  it  since  1891.  But  the  views  remain; 
they  are  those  of  all  leading  minds.  The  wonder  is,  how- 
ever, that  Mr  Rhodes  has  not  sooner  had  his  way,  so 
persistent  are  his  people  and  so  heedless  as  to  their 
statements.  You  will  be  confronted  with  the  question 
of  the  disposal  of  Bechuanaland,  the  Protectorate,  and 
Khame's  country. 

As  to  the  Crown  Colony,  you  have  it  quite  in  your  choice 
to  hold  it  in  Imperial  hands,  although  the  Cape  Parliament 
has  agreed  to  take  it  over.  You  will  thank  them  for  that 
kind  offer,  but  it  is  one  of  those  points  on  which  you 
would  wish  to  have  more  light,  before  taking  so  important 
a  step. 

The  opposition  in  Bechuanaland  to  the  annexation  to  the 
Cape  Colony  is  too  serious  for  Her  Majesty's  Government  to 
proceed  hastily  with  that  measure.  As  to  the  Protectorate 
and  Khame's  country,  the  whole  of  that  territory  has,  in  your 
view,  occupied  the  same  position  since  1885,  in  connection 
with  Her  Majesty's  Government.  The  Chief  Khame  was 
taken  specially  under  Her  Majesty's  Protection ;  and  the 
Earl  of  Derby,  the  then  Secretary  of  State,  specially  requested 
that  the  chief  should  then  be  acquainted  with  that  fact,  and 


IMPERIAL  POLITICS  497 

that  the  Protection  should  be  a  real  one.  This  was  done, 
Sir  C.  Warren  visiting  Khame  personally.^  Thus  in  1885 
we  took  under  our  protection  a  chief  whose  territory  extended 
northward  to  the  River  Zambesi. 

Nothing  that  map-makers  could  afterwards  do  in  London,  in 
the  way  of  colouring  maps,  could  interfere  with  this  historical 
establishment  of  an  Imperial  Protectorate  over  Khame  in 
1885. 

Mr  Rhodes  ought  to  be  well  content  with  the  territories  of 
Lobengula,  Mashonaland  and  Matabeleland,  which  his 
Company  has  secured  by  conquest,  a  conquest  in  which 
he  was  very  materially  assisted  by  the  Imperial  Government. 
He  may  have  indisputable  titles  to  a  great  many  things  north 
of  the  Zambesi ;  I  don't  know.  But  he  has  no  title  at  all,  and 
practically  not  a  leg  to  stand  on,  in  Bechuanaland  Protec- 
torate or  Khame's  country.  I  consider  that  the  thing  is  unheard 
of,  that  an  Imperial  Protectorate,  against  the  wishes  of  all  its 
people,  should  be  handed  over  by  the  Imperial  Government 
to  a  commercial  company.  Why,  even  the  Cape  Parliament 
speakers  in  the  recent  debate  called  this  a  hole-and-corner 
proceeding.  At  present  the  Imperial  Government  is  synony- 
mous with  weakness  and  unreliableness.  It  is  openly  reviled 
out  here  by  such  men  as  Mr  Rhodes.  I  should  dearly  Hke  to 
see  this  all  changed.  It  would  be  easy  to  make  the  Imperial 
Government  well-liked  by  both  natives  and  Dutch-speaking 
people  if  our  Government  were  in  charge  of  such  a  country  as 
we  are  now  speaking  of.  The  natives  would  get  justice  and 
would  have  confidence,  the  unoccupied  tracts  of  country 
would  be  opened  up  and  used  by  settlers.  The  Government 
of  this  Colony  would  soon  come  to  take  up  a  position  of 
influence  in  South  Africa,  and  a  distinct  advance  would  be 
given  to  a  future  confederation  of  South  Africa.  I  need  not 
say,  what  I  have  often  said  before,  that  this  is  without  doubt 
the  natural  destiny  of  the  country ;  but  that  nothing  tends  to 
hinder  this  more  than  the  present  movements  of  Mr  Rhodes 
and  his  policy,  and  that  of  Sir  H.  Robinson,  of  always 
aggrandizing  the  Cape  Colony.  The  other  countries  won't  be 
sat  upon,  they  will  not  consent,  they  have  finally  refused  to 
be  swallowed  up  by  the  Cape  Colony.  I  beg  to  tender  my 
sincere  congratulations  to  you  on  filling  the  office,  which  I 
remember  you  once  told  me  it  would  be  your  desire  to  fill,  if 

^  See  "Austral  Africa,"  ii.,  209,  210.    Blue  Book,  C.  4432,  p.  48. 

2  I 


498 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


ever  you  came  to  be  offered  a  seat  in  a  Cabinet.  I  trust  you 
will  leave  your  mark  in  Downing  Street,  and  especially 
influence  its  officials  as  Englishmen,  to  be  ashamed  of  being 
outdone  and  superseded  by  the  officials  of  a  Chartered 
Company — EngHshmen  like  themselves,  and,  like  them- 
selves, responsible  to  the  British  House  of  Commons. — 
Ever  yours,  John  Mackenzie. 

Concerning  the  Jameson  Raid  itself,  Mackenzie  re- 
mained almost  entirely  silent.  Like  all  lovers  of  South 
Africa,  he  felt  the  shock  to  the  depths  of  his  soul. 
He  refers  to  Mr  Chamberlain's  attitude  in  passing 
allusions,  and  speaks  most  highly  of  his  firmness, 
dignity,  and  courage.  But  the  revelations  which 
occurred  from  month  to  month,  and  culminated  in 
the  disclosures  before  the  Committee  of  the  House 
of  Commons,  never  received  any  sustained  criticism, 
as  far  as  can  be  found,  from  his  pen. 

At  the  close  of  the  year  1895,  he  was  asked  by  the 
editor  of  The  Contemporary  Review  to  write  an  article, 
which  he  did,  upon  the  British  South  African  Company, 
with  special  reference  to  its  conduct  of  the  first  war, 
and  its  native  policy  in  Matabeleland  and  Mashona- 
land. 

This  article  appeared  in  The  Contemporary  Review 
for  March  1896,  and  it  attracted  a  great  deal  of 
attention,  both  in  England  and  in  Cape  Colony. 
Having  gained  direct  information  from  many  sources, 
and  possessing  a  close  personal  knowledge,  not  only 
of  the  country  of  which  he  spoke,  but  of  the  customs 
and  prejudices  of  the  native  races,  he  was  able  to 
estimate  the  conduct  of  the  Company  with  peculiar 
authority.  He  says  that  he  had  been  silent  regarding 
the  Company,  avoiding  all  criticism  of  a  public 
character,  for  seven  years  ;  but  that  he  felt  the  time 
had  now  come  for  passing  judgment  upon  the  manner 
in  which  it  had  fulfilled  the  task  assumed  by  it  and 
laid  upon  it  by  the  Imperial  Government     He  found 


IMPERIAL  POLITICS 


that  his  own  predictions  had  been  abundantly  fulfilled, 
and  his  worst  fears  realised.  The  Company's  affairs 
were  conducted  by  men  who  did  not  possess  the 
imperial  spirit,  nor  acted  towards  subject  races  as 
British  Imperial  officers  are  universally  expected  to 
act. 

In  the  first  section  of  his  article  Mackenzie  described 
the  earlier  methods  of  the  Company  in  opening  up 
Mashonaland  for  its  European  settlers.  It  did  not 
appear  that  even  in  relation  to  the  white  men  who 
entered  under  its  aegis,  the  Company's  policy  was 
broad-minded  and  successful.  Before  long  these 
white  men  found  that  the  conditions  of  life  Avere 
harder  and  the  prospects  of  profitable  gold-mining 
were  poorer  than  they  had  been  led  to  expect.  The 
Company  was  unable  to  open  up  its  mines  in  Mashona- 
land so  as  to  make  profitable  returns.  On  the  other 
hand,  the  Company  found  itself  in  a  country  where  the 
native  population  was  ready  to  give  it  a  warm  welcome. 
Industrious  workers  in  iron  and  cotton  who  had  been 
long  oppressed  by  the  cruel  Matabele  were  led  to 
expect  that  the  Company,  representing  England, 
would  bring  peace  and  justice  with  it  to  their  land. 
It  was  through  the  position  of  protector  of  the 
Mashonas  that  the  Company  was  first  brought  into 
conflict  with  the  Matabele.  The  Matabele  resented 
the  Company's  interference  with  their  custom  of 
massacring  the  Mashonas,  and  turned  upon  their 
white  protectors.  The  result  was  the  invasion  of 
Matabeleland  by  the  Company,  with  the  aid  of 
Imperial  forces  operating  from  the  south-west.  The 
Matabele  were  mowed  down  by  the  Maxim  guns,  and 
at  last,  finding  themselves  unable  to  come  to  close 
quarters  with  their  enemy,  gave  up  in  despair,  and 
fled.  This  victory  gave  the  Company  for  the  first 
time  the  sovereignty  of  the  whole  country.  This  was 
a  splendid  opportunity  for  "  establishing  their  claim 


500 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


to  supersede  the  Imperial  Government."  Alas,  the 
Company's  administrators  struck  out  a  native  policy 
"  entirely  at  variance  with  what  is  generally  known  as 
British  native  policy."  Mackenzie  says :  "  It  is 
capable  of  proof  that  the  Company's  management 
of  native  affairs  has  been  a  complete  failure."  This 
strong  indictment  he  argues  with  abundance  of 
evidence  from  actual  events,  which  he  cites  through 
five  pages  of  the  article.  The  most  foolish  feature 
in  the  administration  of  the  Company  was  its  enrol- 
ment and  drill  of  six  or  seven  hundred  young  Matabele 
soldiers  to  act  as  native  police,  and  the  removal  south- 
ward before  the  Jameson  Raid  "  of  so  many  white  men 
with  guns  and  ammunition — all  of  which  eventually 
fell  into  the  hands  of  President  Kruger."  The  darkest 
spot  in  their  policy  was,  to  Mackenzie's  mind,  their 
method  of  compelling  the  natives  to  work  in  the 
service  of  the  Company.  Their  effort  "  to  re-establish 
forced  labour  in  South  Africa  as  a  permanent  institu- 
tion "  was,  he  maintains,  without  reason,  there  being  no 
ground  for  the  complaint  that  there  was  a  scarcity  of 
labour. 

Regarding  the  relation  of  the  Company  to  Cape 
Colony,  Mackenzie  had  some  things  to  say  which 
involved  continual  reference  to  the  personality  of  Mr 
Rhodes  ;  for  the  link  of  connection  between  the  two 
was  to  be  found  in  the  fact  that  he  was  at  that  time 
both  manager  of  the  Chartered  Company  and  Prime 
Minister  of  the  Cape  Colony.  He  had  some  more 
strong  things  to  say  regarding  the  claim  that  Mr 
Rhodes  "  had  been  allaying  race  feeling  in  the  Cape 
Colony."  The  process  of  amalgamation  of  the  races 
he  showed  to  have  been  going  on  steadily  and  naturally 
without  any  assistance  from  any  one  individual  human 
being,  and  he  believed  that  the  process  would  go  on 
faster  if  men  would  cease  to  discuss  it  as  if  racial 
hatred  were  increasing  instead  of  disappearing.  Mr 


IMPERIAL  POLITICS  501 


Rhodes  as  a  Cape  politician  had  won  the  admiration 
"  of  two  opposing  parties  in  the  Cape  Colony  for 
opposite  reasons."  There  was  a  section  of  patriotic 
Englishmen  who  believed  in  his  Imperialism,  while  on 
the  other  hand  the  Africander  Bond  "  admired  and 
loved  Mr  Rhodes  because  he  was  so  un-English  in 
his  views."  "  As  a  politician  the  late  Premier's  votes 
have  always  been  with  the  Bond  ;  sometimes,  as  on 
the  Excise  question,  he  has  been  the  only  Englishman 
voting  with  them." 

The  next  section  discusses  the  relation  of  the 
Company  to  the  South  African  Republics,  in  which 
the  writer  says  that  it  is  viewed  by  them  "  with  the 
utmost  aversion."  He  pointed  out  with  great  vigour 
that  the  policy  of  the  Chartered  Company  had  actually 
led  both  natives  and  Dutch  Republicans  "  to  call  for 
the  Imperial  Government  to  step  in  instead  of  the 
Company,  and  resume  the  position  which  it  should 
never  have  abdicated."  Mackenzie  had  no  doubt  that 
the  policy  of  the  Company,  as  disclosed  by  its  entire 
dealings  with  the  natives,  the  Colonists,  and  Repub- 
licans, and  as  fully  revealed  in  the  Jameson  Raid, 
"  was  to  place  the  Transvaal,  and  afterwards  South 
Africa,  under  the  Chartered  Company."  The  Raid 
failed,  because  "  the  root-idea — the  commercial  com- 
pany idea — on  which  the  attempted  revolution  was 
based,  was  a  false  one."  It  "  was  founded  on  the  idea 
that  money  could  do  everything."  What  Mackenzie 
described  as  the  conspicuous  failure  of  the  Chartered 
Company  in  South  Africa,  led  to  the  problem  of  its 
future  ;  and  on  this  point  he  believed  that  nothing  less 
was  possible  than  rescinding  the  Company's  Charter. 
This  of  course  would  bear  merely  upon  the  functions 
of  Government,  leaving  the  entire  and  vast  work  of 
developing  the  rich  and  extensive  gold  mines  of 
Mashonaland  and  Matabeleland  as  the  sole  responsi- 
bility of  the  Company.     "  In  the  meantime,"  he  adds. 


502 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


"  the  duty  and  privilege  of  Britain  is  in  1897  what  it 
was  in  1889 — only  much  emphasised  by  the  history 
of  the  intervening  years — to  administer  the  affairs  of 
the  country  in  its  present  stage  of  development,  and 
to  place  that  administration  under  the  supreme  control 
of  those  who  should  not  be  mixed  up  with  other  South 
African  affairs." 

It  may  be  added  that  this  article,  which  very  soon 
passed  out  of  print,  not  only  made  a  very  strong 
impression  upon  its  readers,  but  has  never  received,  so 
far  as  the  present  writer  knows,  an  authoritative  reply 
to  its  deadly  criticisms.  The  following  letter  refers 
to  it : — 

Han  KEY,  Zth  January  1896. 

My  Dear  Mr  Oates, —  ...  I  have  sent  home  an  article 
on  "  The  Chartered  Company  in  South  Africa  :  A  Review 
and  Criticism,"  which  I  hope  may  appear  in  the  Co7ttemporary 
in  February. 

I  have  had  special  and  reliable  information  from  Matabele- 
land,  and  the  facts  will,  I  think,  astonish  the  ordinary  English 
reader.  Having  the  telegraphic  wire  in  their  own  hands,  and 
having  also  some  English  papers  ever  ready  to  back  them  up, 
the  Company  has  got  to  occupy  a  position  to  which  it  would 
appear  it  has  not  the  slightest  title,  judging  from  what  it  has 
actually  done. 

Its  native  policy  has  been  a  complete  failure,  and  a  dis- 
grace to  Great  Britain. 

It  was  almost  inconceivable  that  the  long  oppressed 
Mashonas  should  have  sided  with  their  oppressors,  the 
Matabele,  rather  than  with  the  white  men,  who,  it  was 
supposed,  were  their  friends  and  protectors.  I  was  for  weeks 
here,  refusing  to  believe  that  the  Mashonas  had  also  risen,  till 
at  last  the  evidence  was  undeniable. 

While  our  general  native  policy  was  such  that  the  Mashonas 
preferred  to  fight  along  with  the  Matabele  rather  than  assist 
the  white  man,  in  Matabeleland  the  Company  undoubtedly 
estabhshed  forced  labour  as  a  permanent  institution.  In- 
credible, you  say ;  nevertheless  the  fact.  The  Company  has 
lowered  us  far  below  the  Transvaal  Boers  as  to  the  treatment 
of  the  natives. 


IMPERIAL  POLITICS  503 

In  short,  if  Old  England  stands  where  she  stood  as  to  fair 
dealing  and  righteousness,  it  is  impossible  that  this  charter 
of  the  Company  can  be  renewed.  Of  course  that  would  not 
interfere  with  the  Company's  gold  mines,  or  with  their  rail- 
ways, so  absolutely  indispensable  to  the  profitable  working 
of  the  mines. 

I  do  not  know  whether  you  have  noticed  it — that  the 
leading  men  in  the  Cape  Colony  have  objected  to  the  past 
methods,  while  the  Transvaal  and  the  Free  State  have  un- 
expectedly called  on  the  Imperial  Government  to  assume 
the  authority  delegated  to  the  Company.  It  would  certainly 
give  England  a  position  of  vantage,  so  far  as  those  States  are 
concerned,  if  she  assumed  the  government  in  the  northern 
country  at  the  call  and  suggestion  of  those  who  are  supposed 
to  be  so  much  opposed  to  our  government. — With  kindest 
regards,  I  am,  ever  yours  sincerely,       John  Mackenzie. 

In  1896  Mackenzie's  mind  was  kept  brooding  over 
the  problem  presented  by  the  Transvaal.  The  Jame- 
son Raid  drew  the  attention  of  all  thoughtful  men  to 
study  the  conditions  in  the  South  African  Republic 
which  made  such  an  event  possible.  However  guilty 
Mr  Rhodes  and  Dr  Jameson  had  been,  it  was  quite 
evident  that  their  plan  was  suggested  by  the  state  of 
affairs  at  Johannesburg  ;  and  Johannesburg  was  not 
composed  of  a  class  of  people  likely  to  be  embroiled 
in  political  insurrections  either  for  the  sake  of  amuse- 
ment or  because  they  were  anxious  to  be  "  in  politics." 
Quite  evidently  the  leaders  of  such  a  community 
would  naturally  wish  to  be  let  alone  to  pursue  their 
business  ambitions,  and  would  rebel  simply  when 
business  was  being  rendered  impossible.  Mackenzie, 
having  given  much  attention  to  the  situation,  resolved 
to  embody  his  conclusions  in  a  letter  addressed 
directly  to  President  Kruger.  As  this  letter,  which 
he  dated  from  Hankey  on  June  18,  1896,  grew 
under  his  hand,  he  resolved  to  make  it  an  open  letter, 
written  in  the  first  place  in  Dutch  and  sent  to 
the  leading  Dutch  papers,  but  forwarded  also  in  an 
English  form  to  the  English  papers.    We  have  no 


504 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


assurance,  of  course,  that  it  was  ever  read  to  Pre- 
sident Kruger,  who  for  some  years  had  made  himself 
dependent  almost  entirely  upon  the  aid  of  a  private 
secretar}/  and  reader.  It  is  not  at  all  probable  that 
the  President's  advisers  would  consider  this  clear, 
strong,  earnest  letter  such  an  one  as  should  reach  Mr 
Kruger's  ears. 

The  letter  is  constructed  on  lines  which  a  true 
South  African  would  recognise  at  once  as  being  ap- 
propriate to  a  Dutchman's  habits  of  mind  and  pre- 
judices. As  he  would  be,  so  it  is,  frankly  religious, 
basing  some  of  its  most  powerful  pleas  upon  the 
principles  of  righteousness  and  the  sense  of  respon- 
sibility to  God.  After  an  introductory  paragraph, 
Mackenzie  recalled  a  former  occasion  on  which  he 
and  the  President  had  met  ;  then  he  passed  to  one  of 
his  fundamental  positions.  The  Transvaal  had  indeed 
been  first  invaded  by  the  "  Voortrekkers,"  who  were 
farmers,  and  who  there  found  a  land  prepared  for 
them.  But  the  country  to  which  they  went  was  a 
country  prepared  by  the  Almighty,  not  only  for  the 
farmer,  but  for  the  gold-seeker  and  the  gold-miner. 
To  this  idea  he  returns  several  times,  driving  it  home 
in  such  fashion  as  to  reach  the  conscience  of  any 
open-minded  Dutchman.  In  a  later  paragraph  he 
says  : — 

As  a  matter  of  fact  the  Republic  is  to-day  the  country  of 
the  gold-miner  just  as  it  is  the  country  of  the  farmer,  and  it 
is  unjust  as  well  as  impolitic  not  to  admit  this  fact  in  a 
practical  way.  The  present  condition  as  to  population  has 
not  been  brought  about  by  any  human  policy  or  planning ; 
it  has  happened  in  the  providence  of  God ;  and  it  has  there- 
fore occurred  for  the  ultimate  good  of  all  the  inhabitants. 

He  recognises  that  President  Kruger  has,  "  in  God's 
providence,"  been  called  to  a  very  hard  task.  "  David's 
call  from  the  sheep-cote  was  not  so  sudden  as  the  call 
to  Your  Honour  to  rule  over  this  influx  of  popula- 


IMPERIAL  POLITICS  505 


tion."  This  influx  had  found  the  farmers  unready  to 
meet  the  new  conditions. 

With  great  deHcacy  Mackenzie  attempts  to  lay  the 
responsibility  for  the  failure,  not  upon  President 
Kruger  personally,  but  upon  the  unwillingness  of  his 
"  farmer  Raad  "  to  grant  equality  to  the  new  people 
because  they  were  miners.  Then  he  shows  that  these 
gold-miners  came  from  the  best  countries  in  the  world, 
and  were  men  of  education  and  character,  and  strikes 
hard  upon  one  delicate  spot  when  he  asks,  "  When 
did  the  custom  begin,  to  make  a  difference  among 
white  men,  and  to  say  that  some  were  citizens  and 
others  were  not  ? "  This  policy  was  not  only  con- 
trary to  South  African  tradition  ;  it  was  contrary  to 
the  principles  of  a  republic,  "  The  people  of  a  re- 
public are  the  real  governors  of  the  land."  An  appeal 
was  made  to  the  experience  of  California,  and  Aus- 
tralia, and  New  Zealand  to  prove  that  it  was  possible 
for  farmers  and  miners  to  work  together  prosperously 
in  the  same  country  ;  it  could  not  be  to  the  miners' 
advantage  to  do  any  harm  to  the  land  they  lived  in 
and  from  which  they  gained  their  wealth.  Broadly 
he  says,  "  The  action  of  the  farmers  is  to  blame  for 
the  present  unhappy,  un-Christian,  and  dangerous 
state  of  things."  Thus  he  comes  upon  the  use  by  the 
South  African  Republic  of  the  term  "  Uitlander "  to 
describe  all  new  white  residents  ;  and  he  puts  his 
finger  on  another  of  the  sensitive  spots  in  the  Trans- 
vaal body  politic,  when  he  urges  that  the  President  is 
not  consistent  in  the  use  of  the  term,  for  there  are 
some  new  residents  strictly  "  Uitlanders "  whom  he 
receives  to  full  favour,  and  whom  he  uses  to  the  detri- 
ment of  the  rest  of  the  "  Uitlanders." 

It  is  said,  and  Your  Honour  will  be  able  to  judge  of  the 
truth  of  the  statement,  that  the  gold-miner  is  one  of  those 
parties,  and  the  speculative  "Uitlander,"  who  lives  off  the 
gold-mining  industry  is  the  other.    It  is  freely  declared  that 


5o6 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


Your  Honour's  Government  has  been  more  or  less  used  by 
the  speculative  class  of  "  Uitlanders  "  to  enrich  themselves  at 
the  expense  of  the  real  producers  of  the  wealth  of  the 
country. 

Such  an  accusation,  he  urges,  could  only  be  silenced 
by  a  policy  of  justice  to  the  miners.  He  proceeds  in 
succeeding  paragraphs  to  warn  President  Kruger  that 
there  is  no  possibility  of  European  intervention  in  the 
interests  of  the  South  African  Republic. 

They  (European  Powers)  all  know  that  the  Republic  is, 
by  its  own  agreement,  under  the  suzerainty  of  Great  Britain. 
As  Great  Britain  has  no  mind  to  retire  from  that  suzerainty, 
it  follows  that  any  competing  agreement  between  the  Re- 
public and  any  other  European  Power — if  such  a  thing 
existed — would  be  regarded  by  Britain  as  a  hostile  action 
both  on  Your  Honour's  part  and  on  the  part  of  the  European 
Power  in  question. 

War  would  not  remove  his  troubles,  but  rather 
create  conditions  under  which  they  would  re-awaken  ; 
and  those  who  brought  the  war  on  would  carry  the 
responsibility  of  a  shameful  undertaking  ;  "  blood 
would  be  shed,  antipathies  roused,  the  Merciful 
Saviour  of  all  men — miners  as  well  as  farmers — 
deeply  offended,  and  the  beneficial  result  of  it  all — 
nothing,  absolutely  nothing." 

There  can  be  no  doubt  of  the  sincere  efforts  of  Her 
Majesty's  Government  to  allay  such  warlike  feeling,  and 
to  lead  towards  the  peaceful  settlement  of  all  difficulties. 
It  will  be  for  Your  Honour  and  for  your  Raad  to  cherish 
equal  self-restraint,  and  to  lead  the  minds  of  the  farmer 
population  in  the  way  of  peace. 

In  dealing  with  recent  events,  he  deeply  regrets 
"  the  recent  invasion  of  the  Republic  by  the  officers 
and  men  of  the  British  South  African  Company." 
But  such  events  were  not  in  times  past  unfamiliar  to 
President  Kruger.  He  reminds  President  Kruger  that 
he  himself  once  "  took  the  field  at  the  head  of  one 


IMPERIAL  POLITICS  507 


armed  section  of  the  burghers  against  another  armed 
section  of  the  farmers  "  ;  and  that  he  had  again  been 
concerned  in  i  879  in  the  movement  against  the  annexa- 
tion by  Great  Britain.  In  each  of  these  instances  he 
and  his  companions  felt  their  cause  to  be  good,  and 
their  warfare  righteous  ;  so  felt  the  miners  about  their 
intended  insurrection.  He  must  not,  therefore,  mix  up 
the  miners,  who  only  sought  to  have  their  grievances 
removed,  and  their  political  claims  recognised,  "  with 
the  perfectly  unjustifiable  actions  of  the  officers  of  the 
Chartered  Company."  For  Mackenzie,  the  grim  pro- 
spects which  he  describes  in  a  later  paragraph,  arose 
from  the  fact  that  President  Kruger  admitted  no 
responsibility  for  the  conditions  which  prompted  the 
miners  to  their  desperate  movement. 

"  There  is  no  promise  of  redress  of  grievances,  no  regret 
expressed,  that  under  Your  Honour's  Government  a  body 
of  intelligent  men  should  have  been  driven  to  try  an  armed 
demonstration  after  every  constitutional  method  had  failed." 
His  present  advisers  were,  he  said,  "  enemies  of  peace  and 
goodwill  in  South  Africa."  "The  miners  are  not  even  like 
the  mercantile  class,  members  of  which  often  leave  the 
Republic  when  their  children  grow  up.  .  .  .  The  miners  are 
like  the  farmers — they  have  come  to  stay." 

The  President  ought  to  face  his  Raad  with  a 
settled  policy  in  his  mind,  "  of  welding  together  the 
two  classes  of  your  people  by  gradual  and  well 
thought  out  measures."  If  they  refused,  he  had 
constitutional  means  for  dissolving  the  Raad  and 
making  an  appeal  to  the  burghers,  demanding  that 
if  he  were  to  continue  their  President,  they  must 
change  their  policy  towards  the  miners  ;  and  this 
appeal,  Mackenzie  would,  with  all  confidence,  address 
to  their  Christian  conscience.  This  conclusion,  he 
urged,  would  "  be  the  crowning  achievement "  in  Mr 
Kruger's  career,  by  which  he  would  lay  "  the  founda- 
tions of  a  united  community  at  peace  within  itself. 


5o8 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


and  in  harmony  with  the  general  aims  and  aspira- 
tions of  the  rest  of  South  Africa." 

This  letter,  which  appeared  in  the  Cape  Tifnes^  July 
20,  1896,  was  reprinted  in  pamphlet  form,  and  was 
read  all  over  South  Africa.  It  is,  in  the  opinion  of 
the  present  writer,  one  of  the  best  pieces  of  work 
which  Mackenzie  ever  did  as  regards  the  mere  matters 
of  style,  and  of  consecutive  and  convincing  argument. 
It  is  a  model  at  once  of  frankness  and  courtesy,  of 
insight  into  the  mind  addressed,  and  into  the  best 
means  for  persuading  it. 

In  1897,  his  correspondence  shows  that  Mackenzie 
was  watching  very  closely,  and  with  much  anxiety,  the 
course  of  events  in  the  Cape  Colony,  as  well  as  in  the 
Transvaal.  He  was  indignant  at  the  deliberateness 
with  which  party  leaders  emphasised  the  influence  of 
race  upon  political  life  in  the  Colony.  To  this  he 
refers  very  indignantly  in  a  letter  to  his  friend,  Mr  Henry 
Beard  of  Cape  Town. 

In  this  letter  he  uses  the  expression,  "  Stick  to 
opinions  only,"  an  idea  and  an  injunction  which  he 
repeatedly  insisted  upon.  He  held  that  as  long  as 
men  discussed  South  African  industrial  and  social 
problems  as  race-problems,  they  strengthened  the 
Africander  Bond,  and  rooted  it  more  deeply  in  the 
affections  of  its  own  supporters  ;  but  the  moment  that 
fair-minded,  clear-headed,  justice-loving  men  began  to 
discuss  opinions,  to  advocate  broad  policies  on  their 
merits,  and  in  doing  this  to  ignore  racial  distinctions, 
that  moment  they  began  to  sow  discord  amongst  the 
members  of  the  various  races  themselves.  Mackenzie 
spoke  from  experience.  In  a  discussion  of  practical 
policies  on  grounds  of  justice,  in  a  discussion  of 
political  opinions  in  the  light  of  the  future  of  South 
Africa  as  a  whole,  Mackenzie  had  found  it  easy  to 
divide  not  only  Englishmen  but  even  Dutchmen  also, 
against  one  another,  and  so  to  make  possible  the  re- 


IMPERIAL  POLITICS  509 


arrangement  of  party  affiliations,  not  on  racial,  but  on 
purely  political  lines. 

Han  KEY,  May  <^th,  '97. 

Dear  Mr  Beard, — I  have  to  acknowledge  the  receipt  of  a 
copy  of  the  Bazaar  Book,  which  is  really  very  well  got  up.  I 
have  not  had  time  to  read  the  stories  yet,  but  have  no  doubt 
they  will  be  good,  in  such  surroundings. 

Well  !  you  have  been  in  deep  water — or  is  it  a  strong 
storm  of  wind  ? — since  I  left  you.  You  have  got  a  certificate 
of  character  from  Mr  Garrett  that  you  ought  to  be  in  the 
Cape  Parliament — that  is  something,  even  although  he  adds, 
*'  but  not  for  Cape  Town."  Why  is  there  no  one  to  tell  this 
young  man  that  there  are  limitatio7is  to  most  men's  eye-sight. 
His  sight  is  probably  not  always  good,  for  he  can  see  no 
difference,  or  he  will  see  no  difference,  between  Mr  Rhodes 
and  the  Imperial  Government.  He  does  a  great  dis-service 
to  his  own  country  and  his  own  Imperial  Government  by 
constantly  making  it  and  Mr  Rhodes  convertible  terms. 
That  sort  of  thing  can  hardly  be  done  unconsciously.  Is  it 
possible  that  it  can  be  done  in  perfect  sincerity  ? 

I  am  heartily  sorry  for  Merriman.  What  a  pity  he  should 
go  so  far  merely  to  obtain  political  advantage.  By  the  way, 
why  did  the  Cape  Times  say  it  was  a  division  on  race  lines  ? 
It  did  not  seem  to  me  to  be  so. 

Mr  Innes  spoke  and  acted  like  a  man.  Let  him  stand  to 
that ;  let  him  wait  till  people  come  to  him  and  say  to  him, 
"  Lead  us  ;  we  know  our  views  and  we  know  yours ;  be  our 
leader."  What  has  been  done  so  long  by  one  minority  after 
another  has  been  too  degrading — practically  to  approach  the 
Bond  and  beg  to  be  employed  by  them  in  the  job  of  govern- 
ing the  Cape  Colony.  Ignore  the  Bond's  stronghold — that 
of  race.  Stick  to  opinions  only.  On  these  lines  I  feel  sure 
you  will  yet  see  a  strong  party,  with  Mr  Innes  at  its  head. 
If  Mr  Rhodes  again  pushes  to  the  front,  it  will  be  a  bad  thing 
for  you  all,  and  for  the  Colony.  He  has  as  yet  no  opinions  ; 
he  knows  only  one  process — which  is  something  else  than 
politics. — With  kind  regards  to  all  at  Highwick,  I  am  ever 
yours  sincerely,  John  Mackenzie. 

In  this  year,  also,  Mackenzie  began  to  correspond 
with  one  whom  he  had  welcomed  most  warmly  to  the 


5IO  JOHN  MACKENZIE 


Colony  as  its  new  Governor,  Sir  Alfred  Milner.  His 
personal  acquaintance  with  Mr  Milner  had  begun  in 
1882,  when  the  latter  was  a  journalist  in  London.  It 
increased  to  a  friendship  through  much  correspondence 
in  later  years,  when  Mr  Milner  was  private  secretary 
to  Mr  Goschen.  In  those  years  he  had  prophesied  a 
great  future  for  "  young  Milner,"  as  he  sometimes 
called  him,  and  noted  with  satisfaction  his  promotion 
to  work  in  Egypt  Lord  Milner's  letters  to  Mackenzie, 
after  his  arrival  in  South  Africa,  are  both  numerous 
and  very  cordial.  Once  only  was  Mackenzie  able  to 
meet  the  Governor  personally.  That  was  on  the 
occasion  of  a  journey  which  Lord  Milner  made  from 
Port  Elizabeth  along  the  coast  westwards.  Mackenzie 
joined  his  party  near  Humansdorp,  and  rode  in  the 
"  cart "  with  him  to  that  village.  There  he  took  part 
in  the  welcome  which  was  enthusiastically  accorded 
by  the  entire  countryside  to  the  new  and  popular 
representative  of  the  Queen. 

In  1897  there  occurred  one  of  the  most  shameful  of 
all  transactions  in  all  South  Africa — the  war  between 
the  Cape  Colony  and  certain  districts  of  South 
Bechuanaland.  After  a  protracted  struggle,  in  which 
the  Colonial  Government  is  accused  of  having  dis- 
played cruelty  as  well  as  incapacity,  the  terrible  story 
was  closed  by  the  forcible  deportation  of  large  numbers 
of  the  Bechuanaland  people  to  be  placed  on  the  farms 
of  Boers,  in  Cape  Colony,  as  unpaid  and  compulsory 
servants  of  those  farmers.  This  was  done,  not  only 
by  way  of  reprisal,  but  nominally  for  the  good  of 
these  people,  and  as  an  indemnity  for  the  expense  of 
the  war.  Even  Sir  Gordon  Sprigg  advocated  this 
policy,  denying  that  it  partook  of  slavery,  and  insist- 
ing that  it  was  devised  and  carried  out  in  a  philan- 
thropic spirit. 

Mackenzie  had  throughout  these  events  remained 
silent,  like  Achilles,  but  with  better  reason,  nursing  a 


IMPERIAL  POLITICS  511 


deep  grief  in  his  heart.  When  urged  to  speak  he 
decHned.  When  asked  by  his  fellow-missionaries  in 
Bechuanaland  why  he  was  silent,  he  was  able  to 
explain  that  he  did  not  feel  that  .any  speech  of  his 
at  this  time  could  do  any  good.  The  time  for  speak- 
ing was  years  before  ;  then  he  had  stood  alone,  un- 
supported, and  even  opposed  by  some  of  the  very  men 
who  now  called  for  his  voice.  He  had  then  declared 
what  would  happen  if  South  Bechuanaland  were 
annexed  to  the  Colony,  and  nothing  in  subsequent 
events  had  astonished  him,  except  the  measure  of  the 
folly  and  the  injustice.  But  he  did  write,  at  the  con- 
clusion of  the  whole  affair,  the  following  important 
letter  to  his  old  colleague  and  friend,  Mr  J.  S.  Mofifatt, 
to  whose  hands  it  now  fell  to  help  with  the  educa- 
tional and  religious  instruction  of  the  unhappy  exiles 
from  Bechuanaland. 

Hankey,  Cape  Colony, 
7.^th  Oct.  1897. 

My  Dear  Mr  Moffat, — I  am  much  obliged  to  you  for 
sending  me  the  copies  of  the  Ti?nes  and  other  papers  with 
Langberg  and  other  up-country  news. 

I  am  glad  that  you  and  those  working  with  you  are  going 
to  test  the  legality  of  what  the  Government  has  done.  I 
noticed  that  that  was  Mr  Chamberlain's  answer  to  the 
Aborigines  Protection  Society. — Everything  is  in  the  hands 
of  a  British  Colony ;  if  there  is  anything  wrong,  let  it  come 
out  before  the  law  courts  of  the  Colony. 

I  am  in  the  position  of  having  foreseen  this,  and  of  having 
laboured  for  years  (and  for  a  long  time  not  unsuccessfully)  to 
prevent  that  country  from  coming  into  the  hands  of  the 
Colony.  I  still  think  it  was  a  profound  mistake  to  have 
joined  on  South  Bechuanaland  to  the  Cape  Colony ;  it 
increases  the  difficulties  of  those  who  keep  before  them  a 
South  African  Confederation.  So-called  leaders  have  misled 
the  Cape  Colony  with  the  dream  that  the  Colony  would  yet 
be  practically  synonymous  with  South  Africa.  This  appeal 
to  selfishness  has  become,  or  is  becoming,  too  absurd  for 
belief.  In  the  meantime  the  annexation  of  Bechuanaland 
was  sifiiply  rushed.    "  Make  haste ;  annex  at  once — there  is 


512 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


a  large  party  against  it."  That  was  the  advice  of  the  Dictator 
to  the  Cape  Town  Parliament,  and  his  advice  was  taken. 
That  advice  was  not  in  the  interests  of  the  Cape  Colony, 
which  already  as  a  Government  has  too  much  territory.  It 
was  not  in  the  interests  of  Bechuanaland,  to  cease  being  a 
Territory  under  the  direct  control  of  the  Central  Government 
in  order  to  become  a  distant  part  of  the  huge  Cape  Colony. 

The  best  thing  that  could  be  done  now  in  the  real  interests 
of  the  Cape  Colony — in  the  interests  of  all  the  people  of 
Bechuanaland,  and  especially  as  looking  forward  to  the 
future  Confederation  which  many  good  men  believe  is  still 
before  us — is  for  the  Cape  Colony  to  give  back  South 
Bechuanaland  to  the  Imperial  Government,  to  be  prepared 
for  self-government  under  its  auspices  and  to  be  managed  in 
conjunction  with  North  Bechuanaland.  We  should  then 
have  two  Provinces  in  the  North — Rhodesia  and  Bechuana- 
land— the  Zambesi  being  the  northern  boundary  of  both. 
Imperial  adfninistraiio?!  ca?i  7iever  retire  from  Rhodesia  now^ 
till  the  country  is  self-governing.  So  should  it  be  with  refer- 
ence to  the  Central  Country  of  Bechuanaland — from  the 
German  line  on  the  West  to  Rhodesia  on  the  East,  and  from 
Zambesi  on  the  North  to  what  was  the  northern  boundary  of 
the  Cape  Colony  before  the  recent  mischievous  annexation. 

It  is  time  for  real  leaders  to  lead  the  Cape  Colony,  and  to 
show  them  that  the  extension  of  the  range  of  the  administra- 
tion of  the  Colony  is  now  a  disadvantage,  and  no  longer  an 
advantage  in  the  eyes  of  all  who  keep  steadily  in  view  the 
happy  future  of  a  great  because  United  South  Africa.  The 
country  is  growing,  and  is  sure  to  grow.  It  is  for  wise  men 
to  plan  that  it  may  grow  proportionately  and  usefully.  No 
one  wishes  to  interfere  with  the  self-government  of  the 
peoples  out  here.  The  time  will  come  when  the  northern 
countries  will  be  able  to  manage  their  own  affairs.  The 
Imperial  Government  should  then  retire ;  but  not  till 
then. 

I  am  fully  persuaded  that  this  is  the  view  of  the  intelligent 
Cape  Colonist.  He  may  go  north  personally ;  more  likely 
his  children  will  go  north.  But  he  is  distinctly  of  opinion 
that  the  Colonial  Government  at  Cape  Town  should  not 
take  in  hand  with  the  management  of  territories  so  far 
away  as  Bechuanaland  or  Rhodesia.  He  is  determined  to 
enjoy  all  the  advantages  of  a  British  subject  in  any  or  all 
the  British  colonies  and  countries  throughout  South  Africa ; 


IMPERIAL  POLITICS  513 


but  he  holds  it  to  be  unwise  for  a  single  Colonial  Govern- 
ment to  attempt  to  govern  everywhere. 

I  was  thankful  to  observe  that  a  committee  of  ladies  had 
been  formed  in  connection  with  the  Bechuanaland  prisoners ; 
and  I  trust  that  their  number  will  come  to  include  leading 
members  of  all  Christian  churches.  We  all  need  high  ideals 
kept  before  us.  Who  is  to  place  them  and  keep  them  there 
but  the  ministers  of  Christ,  and  those  Christian  ladies  who 
from  the  earliest  days  of  Christianity  were  ever  near  to  Christ 
and  to  His  Cross  ? 

I  think  it  is  difficult  to  say  how  you  are  to  feed  and  clothe 
those  whose  food  has  been  destroyed  or  used  up  in  the  late 
protracted  disturbance.  Feed  them  you  must,  as  a  Christian 
Government :  enslave  them  you  may  not.  As  it  seems  to 
me,  you  cannot  punish  those  whom  you  have  not  tried.  A 
state  of  war  was  never  proclaimed  :  the  right  of  a  trial  there- 
fore remained  to  all.  But  from  a  plain  Christian  man's 
standpoint,  who  wishes  the  best  to  be  done  in  present 
circumstances,  if  the  contracts  were  altered  and  made  for 
only  two  years,  we  should  be  nearer  to  the  conviction  that 
the  Government  were  not  enslaving,  but  only  providing  food 
and  clothing  for  the  destitute  survivors  of  Langberg.  If  our 
Government  did  that — changed  the  engagements  to  two 
years ;  and  if  they  approached  the  Imperial  Government 
with  the  request  that  they  would  resume  the  administration 
of  Bechuanaland,  having  the  future  of  South  Africa  in  view, 
I  think  the  whole  Colony  would  say  that  they  had  got  well 
out  of  what  has  been  a  conspicuously  bad  business.  I  may 
explain  that  I  have  been  away  from  home  lately,  and  not  so 
attentive  to  the  newspapers  as  I  ought  to  be.  Thus  I  did  not 
know  of  the  meeting  recently  held  in  Cape  Town  on  this 
question  till  after  it  was  over.  Were  I  to  classify  myself  as 
to  Colonial  politics,  I  should  like  to  belong  to  the  Progressive 
Party,  and  I  have  sympathy  with  all  Progressive  men,  without 
reference  to  their  descent.  The  settlement  of  the  present 
question,  in  my  humble  opinion,  lies  now  in  the  changing  of 
the  contract  to  two  years,  and  the  giving  up  of  Bechuanaland 
to  the  Imperial  Govern m.ent,  that  it  may  in  the  future  become 
a  province  in  the  South  Africa  of  our  children,  if  not  of  our 
own  time. 

I  had  not  intended  to  write  on  this  matter.  My  advice 
had  been  disregarded.  Men  had  not  then  found  out  whither 
their  dictator  was  leading  them.    I  write  now,  because  there 

2  K 


514  JOHN  MACKENZIE 

are  people  in  the  Colony  who  wish  to  know  my  views  con- 
cerning a  country  which  I  first  entered  in  the  end  of  1858. 
It  now  belongs  to  Progressive  men  throughout  the  Colony  to 
decide  for  a  sound  policy  with  reference  to  the  North.  Have 
all  the  advantages  of  it,  but  leave  its  vexations  and  its 
government  in  the  hands  of  the  Central  or  Imperial  Govern- 
ment, until  it  can  govern  itself  locally. 

I  am  free  to  admit  that  in  giving  this  advice  years  ago,  I 
was  following  the  example  of  the  United  States  of  America — 
holding  the  young  Territory  under  the  Central  Government 
at  Washington  until  such  time  as  the  "  Territory "  had 
legally  qualified  itself  to  enter  the  number  of  the  "  States," 
and  govern  itself. — I  am,  ever  yours  sincerely, 

John  Mackenzie. 

About  this  time  Mackenzie  was  cheered  by  receiving 
two  requests  from  England,  which  showed  that  he  was 
not  altogether  forgotten  in  the  homeland.  One  was 
another  urgent  call  from  the  editor  of  The  Contemporary 
Review  for  an  article  on  Bechuanaland,  and  the  other 
was  a  request  from  Dr  MacLeod,  the  editor  of  Good 
Words,  for  three  articles  on  South  Africa.  The  latter 
he  entitled  "  Glances  at  South  Africa,"  and  they 
appeared  in  the  July,  August,  and  September 
numbers  of  that  magazine,  in  the  year  1898,  with 
a  number  of  illustrations  and  photographs, 

T/ie  Contemporary  Review  article  appeared  in 
February  1898.  It  occupied  sixteen  pages,  almost 
all  of  which  were  given  to  the  recent  disturbances 
in  Bechuanaland. 

His  narrative  shows  that  he  deeply  suspected 
treachery  of  a  very  disagreeable  kind  behind  the 
initial  steps  of  that  disturbance  in  1897.  The  in- 
capacity of  the  Colonial  policy  was  abundantly 
proved,  and  the  deliberate  slowness  with  which  the 
necessary  steps  were  taken  for  arresting  murderers 
was  thrown  into  prominence.  Then  he  set  forth  the 
manner  in  which,  when  the  disaffected  natives  from 
the  east  of   the  country   took   refuge   among  the 


IMPERIAL  POLITICS  515 


Langberg  hills  in  the  west,  no  effort  was  made  to 
discriminate  between  the  intruders  and  the  real  in- 
habitants of  that  region — "  on  the  whole  a  quiet 
and  well-conducted  people." 

We  are  told,  for  instance,  that  on  more  than  one 
occasion  Luka  Jantye,  the  Chief,  took  great  trouble  to 
put  himself  right  with  our  people.  It  was  stated  that 
he  offered  "  himself  and  his  allegiance  and  service,  and 
that  practically  these  were  distrusted  and  rejected." 
This  Luka  was  himself  killed  under  circumstances  of 
peculiar  atrocity.  "  I  decline  to  write  the  details," 
Mackenzie  says  of  the  sanguinary  story.  "  Thank 
God,  there  cannot  be  many  people  who  would  or 
could  do  such  things,  except  as  a  duty." 

Then  he  deals  with  the  confiscation  of  lands,  a  pro- 
ceeding which  in  a  new  country  almost  invariably 
implies  some  measure  of  underhand  work.  Mackenzie 
stigmatises  the  motives  which  led  to  this  procedure 
with  considerable  vigour.  The  indenture  of  the 
starving  Bechuanas  to  Colonial  families  for  five  years 
is  likewise  described  in  appropriate  terms.  Finally 
on  this  subject  he  says  :  — 

I  do  not  press  this  matter  further  and  inquire  who 
personally  was  to  blame  for  it — incompetence  or  worse,  is 
written  on  the  whole  transaction.  At  whose  special  door 
this  charge  lies  I  care  not  to  enquire.  My  strictures  are  not 
written  from  the  point  of  view  of  a  political  opponent  to  the 
present  Colonial  Government. 

This  leads  him,  in  two  concluding  paragraphs,  to 
describe,  and  once  more  to  condemn  the  annexation 
of  Bechuanaland  to  the  Cape  Colony.  He  sees  in  all 
the  steps  which  led  up  to  it  the  hand  of  the  Chartered 
Company,  and  the  ambition  of  "  this  big  amalgamating 
power  to  be  supreme  in  the  whole  of  South  Africa." 


CHAPTER  XX 


AFRICA  PREACHER  AND  COUNSELLOR 

(189I-1898) 

When  Mackenzie  landed  at  Cape  Town  in  1 891,  he 
found  himself  in  the  midst  of  the  annual  meetings  of 
the  Congregational  Union  of  South  Africa.  He 
received  a  very  warm  welcome,  and  from  that  day- 
was  one  of  the  most  earnest  and  sympathetic  members 
of  the  Union.  He  attended  its  meetings  every  year, 
except  one,  until  the  end  of  his  life.  He  was  placed 
on  many  of  its  most  important  committees,  and  in 
connection  with  them  did  the  same  faithful  and  patient 
work  which  he  gave  to  every  undertaking.  He  was 
appointed  to  a  large  number  of  special  committees 
which  had  the  disagreeable  task  of  investigating  cases 
of  difficulty,  such  as  settling  church  quarrels,  preventing 
litigation  over  church  property,  etc.  The  testimony 
is  uniform  and  unanimous  that  his  work  on  these 
occasions,  which  for  obvious  reasons  cannot  be  more 
minutely  described,  was  of  the  utmost  value. 

In  an  obituary  notice  which  appeared  in  a  Year-book 
of  the  Congregational  Union  after  his  death,  it  is  said  : 

As  a  spiritual  adviser  he  was  at  his  best.  With  what 
wonderful  patience  he  would  listen  to  native  disputes,  and 
sift  out  all  their  tiresome  details,  until  the  whole  case  was 
clear  to  him,  and  then  with  what  a  wealth  of  sanctified 
common-sense,  diffusive  charity,  and  persuasive  wisdom  he 
would  express  and  apply  his  judgment  ! 

On  the  same  feature  of  his  work  and  the  spirit  in 
which  he  performed  it,  Mr  Beard  in  his  memorandum 
has  written  as  follows  : — 
516 


PREACHER  AND  COUNSELLOR  517 


It  was  in  dealing  with  elements  like  these  in  the  small 
South  African  Congregational  Union  that  some  of  the  finest 
qualities  of  John  Mackenzie  were  displayed,  winning  the 
respect  and  affection  of  his  co-workers.  It  may  have  seemed 
to  others  a  small  sphere  for  one  who  had  been  occupying  the 
position  of  the  previous  years ;  perhaps  at  times,  it  may  have 
seemed  so  to  himself.  But  there  was  no  sign  of  it  in  the 
readiness  with  which  he  threw  himself  into  every  subject,  and 
the  interest  he  manifested  in  every  question  bearing  upon  the 
welfare  of  the  churches  and  the  promotion  of  their  work. 

On  one  occasion,  when  a  large  "  Coloured  Church "  had 
been  seriously  divided,  and  feeling  had  run  high  between 
certain  ministers  and  their  adherents,  Mr  Mackenzie  was  sent 
on  a  deputation  to  visit  it.  In  a  private  letter  giving  a  full 
explanation  of  the  faithful  way  in  which  the  deputation  had 
dealt  with  the  various  individuals,  Mr  Mackenzie  wrote  as 
follows  : — 

"  As  to  the  people  I  have  not  time  to  write  details.  But  on 
the  last  Sunday  evening,  before  a  very  large  congregation,  I 
indulged  in  some  very  plain  speaking,  tempered  by  the 
heavenly  teaching  of  our  Lord,  as  to  forgiveness,  washing 
His  disciples'  feet,  etc.,  and  towards  the  close  asked  all  those 
who  desired  to  agree  with  our  decision  and  to  cherish  those 
Christian  feelings  to  stand  up,  while  I  engaged  in  a  short 
special  prayer.  Practically  the  whole  congregation  stood  up  : 
and  there  was  great  joy  expressed  at  the  close  of  the  meeting. 
The  quarrel  is  over." 

Those  who  knew  Mr  Mackenzie  and  his  calm  and  dignified 
yet  earnest  manner  of  address,  can  well  picture  the  impressive 
scene  on  that  Sunday  evening,  in  that  large  congregation  of 
impulsive,  eager,  and  unlettered  African  Christians. 

In  the  year  1893  he  acted  as  Chairman  of  the 
Union,  and  delivered  the  annual  address  on  September 
25th,  at  Queenstown.  He  took  as  his  subject,  "The 
Christian  Outlook  in  the  Cape  Colony,"  and  his 
address,  which  fills  twenty-two  pages  of  the  Year- 
book of  the  Congregation  Union,  covers  a  great  deal 
of  ground. 

He  began  with  the  Congregational  view  of  the 
Christian  church.  While  explaining  its  relation  to, 
as  well   as   its   difference   from,   other   sections  of 


5i8  JOHN  MACKENZIE 


Christendom,  he  especially  emphasised  the  gradual 
approximation  to  one  another,  in  their  practical 
methods,  of  Presbyterian  and  Congregational  churches 
in  South  Africa  ;  and  with  great  delight  he  pointed 
to  the  co-operation  of  these  two  denominations  in  the 
past.  He  insisted  that  the  methods  of  church 
government  must  "  be  capable  of  adaptation  to  the 
diversified  and  changing  conditions  of  mankind  in  all 
parts  of  the  country." 

Having  thus  laid  down  his  religious  and  spiritual 
principles,  he  went  on  to  apply  them  to  the  concrete 
circumstances  in  South  Africa.  He  reviewed  the 
internal  work  of  the  churches,  and  the  need  of  the 
highest  morality  and  the  intensest  spirituality. 

Some  of  our  pastors  and  office-bearers  may  stop  from 
fighting  with  "  wild  beasts,"  so  to  speak,  the  strong  lower 
passions  of  their  flocks ;  the  disgusting  customs  of  a 
heathenism  still  clinging  to  the  minds  of  the  people.  Be 
encouraged,  brethren,  in  your  most  difficult  but  most 
necessary  work.  Whatever  you  do,  do  not  lower  the 
standard  of  what  Christ  requires.  .  .  .  Christian  brethren, 
the  most  hopeful  thought  to  my  mind  in  connection  with  the 
future  of  the  country  is  this — that  wherever  a  Christian 
church  exists,  we  have  an  agency  for  making  and  keeping 
men  and  women  pure,  truthful,  honest,  and  godly. 

The  condition  of  colonisation  was  briefly  discussed, 
and  a  large  space  was  devoted  to  the  problem  of 
strong  drink  in  South  Africa,  especially  in  Cape 
Colony. 

Our  appeal  to  our  fellow-Christians  throughout  the 
Colony,  and  our  own  efforts  as  a  Union  must  first  be 
directed  to  the  reduction  of  the  number  of  licensed  places  in 
our  villages,  and  to  the  withdrawal  of  all  canteen  licences 
throughout  the  Colony.  The  government  of  the  Free  State 
has  excelled  the  government  of  this  Colony  in  the  matter  of 
restriction  placed  upon  the  sale  of  strong  drink. 

Under  the  heading  of  "  The  Question  of  Colour," 
Mackenzie  placed  great  emphasis  upon  the  fact  that 


PREACHER  AND  COUNSELLOR  519 


in  the  Congregational  Union  men  of  different  races 
met  on  an  equality  and  with  great  freedom. 

It  is  a  thrilling  and  soul  uplifting  thought,  the  confluence 
of  the  older  Christian  communions  with  the  newly  opened 
up  rill  of  South  African  Christianity.  .  .  .  We  are  of  many 
races  and  classes,  but  if  we  have  put  off  the  old  man  and 
have  put  on  the  new,  then  among  us  there  is  neither  Greek 
nor  Jew,  circumcision  nor  uncircumcision,  barbarian,  Scythian, 
bond  nor  free,  but  Christ  is  all  and  in  all.  .  .  .  Whether 
in  religion  or  in  politics,  the  man  who  proposes  to  assemble 
and  organize  his  own  race  or  his  own  colour  only,  has 
practically  forsaken  the  region  of  argument  and  discussion, 
and  trusts  to  his  power  to  coerce  his  opponents  by  the 
mere  weight  of  number,  and  in  the  end  by  mere  brute 
force.  .  .  .  Let  no  one  ever  seek  to  organize  the  members 
of  this  Union  on  race  lines.  Let  us  avoid  it  as  we  would 
a  bitter  sin. 

Then  he  discussed  also  at  considerable  length  "  The 
Location  Act  and  Stock  Stealing,"  where  he  dealt 
with  one  of  the  most  constant  causes  of  dispeace  and 
disorder  in  many  districts  of  Cape  Colony.  He 
condemned  all  proceedings  by  the  government  which 
would  deal  with  the  natives  en  masse,  as  if  they  were 
all  given  to  stock-thieving.  He  urged  missionaries 
who  laboured  in  such  districts  to  give  constant  and 
broad-minded  teaching  to  the  native  people  regarding 
this  crime.  He  denied  the  common  assertion  that 
it  was  part  of  their  nature  to  steal,  and  in  doing  so, 
cited  the  history  of  the  border  raids  in  the  south  of 
Scotland,  in  which  his  own  ancestors,  no  doubt,  were 
concerned. 

Of  course  it  was  long  ago — so  long  ago  that  we  do  not 
feel  much  disgraced  by  the  fact.  Indeed,  with  us  romance 
and  poetry  have  thrown  their  glamour  over  these  old- 
world  doings  ;  but  there  is  no  doubt  that  when  the  lady 
of  the  house  on  the  border  line  between  England  and 
Scotland  placed  on  an  empty  covered  dish,  to  be  opened 
by  her  lord  before  his  family,  a  significant  pair  of  spurs — 
it  was  in  our  estimation  as  colonists,  an  unblushing  incentive 


520 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


to  stock-lifting.  Her  ladyship's  larder  was  empty,  and  the 
border  had  to  be  crossed  to  obtain  supplies. 

He  would  therefore  have  the  colonists  regard 
stock-thieving  as  at  once  a  relic  of  barbarism,  destined 
to  pass  away,  and  a  crime  which  must  be  stamped 
out  by  firm,  but  discriminating  justice. 

Then  he  discussed,  under  a  number  of  brief  para- 
graphs, misunderstandings  which  were  likely  to  rise 
among  them  as  Christian  men  of  different  races  in 
a  new  country.  He  noted  that  the  utmost  confusion 
prevailed  amongst  those  who  discussed  what  they 
called  "  The  Native  Question."  Within  the  church 
he  would  expect  mutual  sympathy  and  help  amongst 
all  true  believers  of  every  race. 

But  with  reference  to  what  I  may  call  general  society, 
what  are  my  social  rights  ?  Simply  to  be  let  alone.  I 
have  no  social  right  which  society  declines  to  give  to  me. 
If  people  do  not  want  my  society  they  find  no  difficulty 
in  letting  me  know  it.  Have  they  wronged  me  by  so 
doing?  By  no  means.  Let  me  go  among  those  who  are 
more  likely  to  care  for  me.  Society  sanctions  the  inter- 
course of  those  who  approve  of  one  another. 

Towards  the  end  the  following  sentences  occur : — 

Does  it  not  appear  from  what  I  have  said  that  there  is 
hope  in  the  future  before  us  all  in  our  South  African  life, 
without  expecting  anything  unreasonable  from  one  another  ? 
The  church  door  is  open ;  the  court  room  is  open ;  the 
doors  of  our  friends'  houses  are  open ;  and  there  is  fair 
pay  for  fair  work.  Let  us  thank  God,  and  live  our  life, 
and  do  our  work,  with  joy  and  gladness,  with  earnestness 
and  deep  humility.  No  one  can  think  worse  of  us  than 
we  do  of  ourselves  when  we  are  alone  with  our  Saviour. 

His  last  words  in  this  Chairman's  address  were : — 

God  grant  that  this  Union  may  long  show  how  all  races 
of  South  Africa  may  live  together  and  work  together  for 
God  and  their  fellow  men. 

Mackenzie's  last  attendance  at  the  Union  meetings 
took  place  when  they  gathered  in  September  1898, 


PREACHER  AND  COUNSELLOR  521 


at  Uitenhage.  His  brethren  all  remarked  the  evident 
decline  of  physical  strength  which  they  saw  in  him, 
while  yet  he  took  a  full  part  in  the  work  and  de- 
liberations of  the  Assembly.  On  a  Friday  after- 
noon, September  23rd,  Mackenzie  introduced  the 
subject  of "  Church  work  and  progress."  Several  of 
those  who  heard  this  address  have  referred  to  it  in 
correspondence  since  that  day,  and  all  bear  witness 
that  he  spoke  with  such  intensity  and  earnestness 
as  to  produce  an  unusual  impression  upon  his 
audience.  So  remarkable  indeed  was  the  emotion 
which  his  bearing  and  his  message  quickened,  that 
the  Assembly  agreed  at  once  to  cease  from  further 
discussion  of  the  subject,  and  spend  the  remainder 
of  the  time  in  prayer. 

He  made  a  half-playful  address  on  another  occasion, 
of  a  social  character,  in  response  to  the  toast,  "  New 
men  and  old  days,"  in  which  again  he  seems  to 
have  touched  a  tender  chord,  mingling  what  was 
playful  with  what  was  pathetic  in  the  few  sentences 
which  he  uttered. 

At  the  communion  service,  where  Christians  of 
different  denominations  and  races  met,  he  spoke  on 
the  2 1st  chapter  of  John,  urging  the  communicants 
to  control  the  impulsive,  active  Peter  within  their 
hearts,  and  to  give  precedence  to  the  loving,  intuitive 
John.  "We  felt,"  it  is  added  by  one  friend,  "that 
he  was  simply  rendering  the  order  of  his  own  ex- 
perience, and  that  in  him  Peter,  the  leader  of  men, 
had  learned  to  acknowledge  the  greater  nearness  to 
Christ  of  John,  the  divine."  This  correspondent,  the 
Rev.  J.  Frederick  Philip,  after  quoting  a  few  lines 
from  Matthew  Arnold's  "  Rugby  Chapel,"  says  that 
there  are  many  passages  in  that  poem  "  which  might 
have  been  written  not  only  for  the  children  of  John 
Mackenzie,  but  for  us,  who  look  to  him  as  a  spiritual 
father." 


522 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


While  Mackenzie  was  thus  deeply  involved  in 
industrial  and  social  and  denominational  schemes  he 
was,  it  must  be  remembered,  hard  at  work  as  pastor 
and  preacher.  His  command  of  the  Dutch  language 
became  more  and  more  extensive,  so  as  to  receive 
the  praise  even  of  those  who  heard  him  in  large 
Dutch-speaking  churches  at  other  places. 

Mackenzie  spared  no  labour  upon  his  work  as  a 
preacher  ;  his  files  of  manuscript  sermons,  which  he 
kept  in  the  same  methodical  way  in  which  he  pre- 
served all  of  his  manuscripts  and  correspondence,  show 
that  he  spent  much  time  and  thought  upon  them. 
They  are  in  the  main,  of  course,  simple,  earnest  dis- 
courses adapted  to  the  needs  of  a  rural  population. 
Many  of  them  are  written  out  in  full,  covering  ten  to 
thirty  pages  of  manuscript ;  others  are  preserved  only 
in  brief  jottings.  The  course  of  thought  in  the 
majority  of  his  sermons  shows  that  he  was  in  deep 
earnest  about  the  central  features  of  man's  religious 
and  moral  life.  To  him  it  was  clear  that  a  man's 
relations  to  God  are  supreme  and  fundamental,  and 
on  these  he  spoke  with  intense  solemnity.  But  for 
him,  as  for  all  true  teachers  of  the  Gospel,  the 
religious  life  must  find  expression  in  a  man's  human 
relationships,  in  human  conduct ;  the  eternal  appears 
under  the  conditions  of  time  and  amid  the  changes 
of  a  finite  experience.  Mackenzie's  sermons  were 
therefore  directed  no  less  to  the  practical  problems 
of  everyday  life  than  to  the  deep  questions  of  our 
relation  to  the  living  God  through  Jesus  Christ. 
Under  this  head  he  placed  the  consideration  of  the 
larger  national  and  political  questions.  He  did  not 
shrink  from  discussing  these.  He  could  not  speak, 
for  instance,  on  the  text  "  Love  your  enemies  "  with- 
out applying  it  skilfully,  but  with  great  boldness,  to 
the  attitude  of  the  various  races  in  South  Africa 
towards  one  another.     Nor  could  he  preach  as  he 


PREACHER  AND  COUNSELLOR  523 


did  at  various  places  on  the  passage  (Matt.  xx. 
20-29)  where  two  brothers  appeal  to  Christ  for 
positions  of  prominence  in  His  Kingdom,  without 
coming  to  consider  the  principles  of  human  govern- 
ment, and  the  manner  in  which  the  spirit  of  the 
Son  of  Man  is  to  be  realised  in  the  political  world. 
Nor  could  he  deal  again  with  the  parable  of  the 
fig-tree,  without  pointing  out  its  lessons  for  the 
national  conscience  as  well  as  the  solemn  and  urgent 
appeals  which  could  be  obviously  based  upon  it  in 
addressing  the  will  of  individual  men.  It  seems 
fitting  to  give  here  two  or  three  brief  extracts  from 
some  of  these  sermons  to  illustrate  his  spirit  and 
manner. 

The  first  one  is  taken  from  the  sermon  on  Matt. 
V.  43-45,  entitled  "Love  your  enemies."  When  he 
preached  this  at  Caledon  Square  Church,  Cape  Town, 
on  April  i8th,  1897,  he  added  the  following  passage, 
which  was  written  and  delivered  because  he  found 
the  atmosphere  of  Cape  Colony  growing  thick  with 
suspicion,  recrimination,  and  all  the  conditions  that 
make  for  war  : — 

Brethren  !  So  far  I  have  addressed  to  you  remarks  which 
I  recently  made  to  a  small  European  congregation  in  a 
secluded  church  in  this  colony. 

Speaking  here  from  this  pulpit  to-night,  I  wish  to  add  a 
few  remarks  on  the  subject  of  our  text. 

I  am  addressing  many  who  are  the  humble  followers  of 
Jesus  Christ :  men  and  women  who  call  Him  sincerely  Lord 
and  Master.  x\llow  me  to  say  to  you  this  evening,  with  deep 
conviction,  that  the  peace  and  prosperity  of  this  country  are 
in  your  hands.  Who  is  the  enemy  of  South  Africa  ?  The 
man  who  tries  to  separate  Christian  people  on  account  of 
their  race  or  descent.  Brethren !  these  men  are  our 
enemies.  We  say  earnestly,  Whom  God  in  His  providence 
hath  joined  together  in  this  land,  let  no  man,  and  no 
party,  and  no  newspaper,  try  to  put  asunder !  Christian 
people !  (I  would  my  voice  could  resound  through  the 
whole  of  South  Africa) — be  not  silent  at  this  juncture. 


524 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


That  whole  matter  is  really  in  your  hands.  Look  not  on 
your  own  things  but  also  on  the  things  of  others.  Through 
you  let  the  Spirit  of  Christ  kill  the  spirit  of  hatred  and 
selfishness,  which  leads  to  war  through  all  the  land.  English- 
speaking  people  !  be  Christians  first ;  loyal,  true  servants  of 
Jesus.  Dutch-speaking  people  !  brothers  in  faith  and  hope  ! 
fellow-workers  in  bringing  about  the  establishment  of  the 
glorious  Kingdom  of  our  common  Lord !  be  Christians 
first :  loyal  and  true  servants  of  Jesus.  Christians  !  unfold 
fearlessly  the  Banner  of  Christ  our  Lord.  Let  us  all 
assemble  under  its  ample  folds.  Demand  it  of  all  the 
rulers  and  governments  in  South  Africa  that  the  wild-beast 
age  of  mankind  in  this  fair  land  shall  pass  away,  and  that 
the  real  and  practical  reign  of  Christ  Jesus  shall  be  estab- 
lished in  our  midst. 

Brethren,  shall  we  kneel  and  offer  the  same  prayers — 
shall  we  approach  the  same  sacred  communion  and  openly 
declare  our  deep  love  and  true  devotion  to  one  Saviour  and 
Master,  and  then  go  out  and  speak  words  of  malice  and 
hatred  against  one  another,  and  urge  on  one  another  by 
bitter  words  to  hotter  anger  and  vengeance?  I  say,  Let 
not  this  be  !    May  God  Himself  forbid  ! 

I  call  upon  the  Christians  of  South  Africa  in  this  time 
of  need,  by  the  humble  exercise  of  a  true  Christian  spirit 
in  their  daily  life — Receive  one  another,  bear  with  one 
another,  have  sympathy  with  one  another,  as  the  good 
Lord  has  so  lovingly  and  patiently  borne  with  you. 

Blessed  are  the  peacemakers  here  in  South  Africa  as 
everywhere,  for  they  shall  be  called  the  children  of  God. 


The  Parable  of  the  Fig-Tree 
(Luke  xiii.  6-10) 

Dear  brethren,  we  have  spoken  from  illustrations  in  the 
history  of  the  past,  which  show  that  there  comes  a  time  of 
judgment  even  in  the  dealings  of  the  God  of  mercy.  The 
Babylonish  captivity,  and  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem,  and 
the  scattering  of  the  Jewish  people  are  striking  illustrations 
of  this  truth. 

But  what  was  true  in  the  time  of  Isaiah  and  in  the  time 
of  our  Lord  is  equally  true  in  our  own  day. 


PREACHER  AND  COUNSELLOR  525 


I  am  persuaded  that  the  doctrine  of  our  text  is  true  of 
the  nations  of  to-day,  as  well  as  of  God's  ancient  people. 
It  is  at  present  high-tide,  so  to  speak,  as  to  the  prosperity 
of  the  British  Empire.  Those  whose  ancestors  were  rude 
barbarians  when  the  words  of  our  text  were  spoken  by  Christ 
have  risen  to  an  unprecedented  height  among  the  nations  of 
the  earth.  But  should  our  people  fall  away  from  righteous- 
ness, should  they  become  self-seeking  and  self-indulgent, 
should  God  be  forgotten  or  dethroned,  in  our  aims  and 
our  plans  as  a  people,  then,  without  doubt,  the  word  will 
go  forth,  "  I  have  sought  fruit  on  this  tree  and  find  none  : 
I  have  sought  spiritual  life,  and  find  only  coarse  materialism  : 
I  have  sought  humble  faith  and  obedience  to  Him  whose 
power  has  raised  them  so  high,  and  I  find  only  self-laudation, 
contained  in  empty  and  boastful  affirmations  about  western 
civilisation :  I  have  sought  a  nation  to  serve  Me  in  My 
Gospel,  a  nation  to  carry  the  evangel  to  the  ends  of  the 
earth,  but  where  I  have  found  fleets  of  war-vessels  and  fleets 
to  carry  merchandise,  I  see  only  one  or  two  vessels  made 
to  carry  My  evangelists  :  I  have  sought  a  people  to  exemplify 
the  teaching  of  My  Son  in  their  social  and  national  life,  and 
behold,  I  find  a  people  given  to  revelling  and  drunkenness 
and  immorality,  among  whom  the  greatest  moral  guilt  goes 
unpunished,  because  it  has  become  sanctioned  by  long 
practice  and  usage.  Brethren,  it  is  not  our  western  civiliza- 
tion that  will  save  us  as  a  people,  any  more  than  Greece 
or  Rome  was  saved  by  civilization.  We  stand  not  in  the 
forefront  of  the  nations  to-day  through  our  army  or  our 
navy  or  our  modern  weapons  of  warfare.  We  stand  where 
we  do  through  our  character  as  a  Christian  nation — a  people 
on  whom  evidently  the  blessing  of  God  has  long  rested. 
Thank  God  for  the  Christianity  which  still  animates  the 
British  people.  Thank  God  for  what  measure  of  sound 
character,  true  faith,  and  sincere  devotion,  are  to  be  found 
among  our  people.  Should  these  be  found  among  our  own 
people,  should  these  grow  and  abound,  then  the  blessing 
of  Heaven  will  continue  to  rest  on  us  as  a  nation.  But 
should  the  great  Gardener  seek  this  heavenly  fruit  among 
us,  and  seek  it  in  vain,  then  no  weapons  of  defence  can 
save  us,  for  we  shall  ourselves  have  decayed  and  become 
effete  ;  and  the  word  shall  go  forth,  "  Why  cumbereth  it 
the  ground?  Cut  it  down."  Therefore  he  is  the  truest 
patriot  who  seeks  to  raise  the  character  of  his  people; 


526 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


for  the  true  greatness  of  a  nation — that  which  will  give 
permanence  to  a  people — consists  in  the  virtue  and  purity, 
the  honesty  and  truthfulness,  and  the  spiritual  ideals  of  the 
great  body  of  the  people. 

But  once  more,  our  text  carries  a  message  not  only  to 
nations,  but  to  individuals.  We  are  individually  represented 
by  this  fig-tree.  The  Divine  voice  is  heard  saying,  "  I  have 
come  for  so  long  seeking  fruit  in  this  life,  and  find  none. 
Why  cumbereth  it  the  ground  ?  Why  suffer  it  longer  to  cast 
around  it  a  baleful,  selfish,  worldly  influence  ?   Cut  it  down  !  " 

But,  brethren,  we  have  an  Advocate  at  God's  right  hand, 
who  intercedes  for  us.  We  have  also  a  Divine  Spirit  stand- 
ing at  the  door  of  our  hearts  and  knocking  for  admission. 
"  Let  him  alone,  while  I  still  knock  at  his  heart  and  beg 
him  to  yield  himself  to  My  guidance,  while  I  win  him  by 
love  and  patience,  while  I  warn  him  by  fearful  lessons  in 
events  around  him.  Let  him  alone  a  year  longer  that  he 
may  bear  the  fruit  of  repentance,  humble  faith,  and  Christian 
life ;  and  then  if  that  fruit  is  not  apparent,  thou  shalt  cut 
him  down." 

How  solemn,  brethren,  that  while  we  are  living  in  thought- 
lessness— taking  the  days  as  they  come — the  eye  of  our  God 
is  examining  our  life  and  our  character,  seeking  heavenly  fruit, 
unmistakable  tokens  in  our  character  and  life  that  we  are 
the  children  of  God  through  faith  in  Jesus  Christ !  How 
solemn  that  in  the  Council  of  the  Godhead  it  should  be  said 
by  the  Voice  of  Righteousness — For  years  have  I  sought 
fruit  here  and  find  none :  why  cumbers  he  the  earth  longer  ? 
And  the  same  Divine  Voice  in  another  tone,  the  tone  of 
Mercy  replies,  Spare  him  a  little  longer :  he  will  see  My 
Cross  :  he  will  realize  My  love  for  him.  And  again  another 
note  of  mercy.  Spare  him  a  little  longer :  if  he  will  only 
willingly  admit  Me  and  yield  to  Me,  his  scarlet  guilt  shall 
become  white  as  snow :  I  will  create  within  him  a  clean 
heart  and  renew  a  right  spirit  within  him. 

Brethren,  listen  to  the  Heavenly  Voices  speaking  round  us 
and  about  us.  Where  is  the  Heavenly  fruit  in  our  lives? 
If  we  are  only  willing  and  believing.  Divine  aid  will  do  the 
rest.  Thank  God  that  there  is  this  Divine  Mercy.  But 
remember  !  our  text  this  afternoon  points  to  a  life  tragedy : 
to  the  fatal  time  when  a  deaf  ear  and  a  closed  heart  shall 
have  brought  doom  on  themselves.  "  If  it  bear  fruit,  well ; 
if  not,  after  that  then  thou  shalt  cut  it  down." 


PREACHER  AND  COUNSELLOR  527 


The  following  selection  will  be  found  very  interest- 
ing, because  it  contains  several  echoes  across  the  years 
from  those  early  "jottings,"  of  which  examples  have 
been  printed  above.  It  seems  also  to  express  sincerely, 
and  even  bluntly,  the  principles  on  which  Mackenzie  had 
very  earnestly  endeavoured  to  live,  and  which  inspired 
him  for  every  change  of  work,  for  every  ardour  of  self- 
sacrifice  : — 


Human  Ambition  and  Christian  Distinction 
(Matt.  XX.  20-29) 

HI.  Christian  Distinction. — Our  Lord  pursued  the  subject 
thrust  upon  His  notice  to  its  legitimate  end.  James  and  John 
would  be  "  great  " ;  they  would  be  "  first "  in  His  Kingdom. 
They  were  willing,  as  far  as  they  knew,  to  share  with  Him  the 
fortunes  of  that  Kingdom.  It  therefore  became  their  Guide 
and  Teacher,  for  their  benefit,  and  to  the  benefit  of  the  rest 
of  His  disciples,  as  well  as  for  the  edifying  of  His  Church  in 
all  ages,  to  explain  what  was  Christian  Distinction,  and  how 
it  could  be  attained. 

Yet  once  more,  therefore,  the  true  Messiah  announces  that 
His  Kingdom  shall  be  the  antithesis  of  the  kingdoms  of  the 
earth.  He  describes  what  has  been  common  to  kings'  courts 
and  to  the  courts  of  First  Consuls  or  of  Presidents — the  eager 
pursuing  of  personal  claims  ;  the  partizanships ;  the  elbowing 
others  out  of  your  way ;  the  walking  roughshod  over  a  man 
who  is  down,  leaving  to  those  who  are  called  fools  the  work 
of  raising  him  up  and  setting  him  on  his  feet  again.  These 
things  have  been,  and  alas,  still  are ;  and  they  will  be,  till 
Christianity  shall  have  filled  men's  hearts,  and  then  the 
antithesis  of  our  Lord's  lesson  will  have  ceased.  The  king- 
doms of  the  world  shall  have  become  the  kingdoms  of  God 
and  of  His  Christ. 

But  if  not  by  self-reliantly  pressing  their  individual  claims 
and  pushing  others  out  of  the  way,  how  is  distinction  to  be 
achieved  in  the  new  Kingdom  of  the  Messiah  ?  Is  everything 
on  a  dull,  monotonous  level,  or  is  there  a  real  province  for 
emulation  and  ambition  among  the  servants  of  Christ ;  and 


528 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


if  so,  what  is  that  province  ?  And  what  are  the  rules  which 
apply  to  Christian  ambition  ? 

The  love  of  distinction,  the  desire  to  emulate,  is  not  by 
any  means  crushed  by  the  religion  of  Christ.  Rather  is  it 
directly  encouraged  and  guided,  as  witness  the  directions  given 
in  our  text.  They  might  aspire  to  be  "chief";  they  might 
covet  to  be  "  first "  in  rank  ;  and  their  Master  graciously  gives 
them  plain  directions  as  to  how  this  is  to  be  secured. 

The  Patriarch  is  Head  of  the  Eastern  Church,  the  Holy 
Father  or  Pope  is  Head  of  the  Western.  The  Primate  of 
England  is  Head  of  the  Episcopal  Church  of  that  country,  and 
so  in  Scotland  and  Ireland.  The  Moderator  of  a  Presbyterian 
Church  is  its  Head  for  the  time.  So  among  the  Wesleyans 
is  the  President  of  the  Conference  for  the  time  being.  So 
among  the  Congregationalists  and  Baptists,  the  Chairman  of 
the  Union  for  the  year.  If  you  look  at  any  book  of  reference 
you  will  find  that  these  are  the  acknowledged  Heads  of 
Churches;  and  these  books  will  tell  you  how  to  address 
these  dignitaries,  so  as  to  express  that  conventional  reverence 
for  their  office,  which  in  the  beginning  must  have  been 
evoked  and  must  have  been  earned  by  the  holders  of  these 
offices.  If  I  look  at  my  book  of  reference  then  I  can  have 
no  doubt  as  to  who  is  the  chief  or  head  in  these  Christian 
communities.  But  if  I  turn  to  my  New  Testament  and  take 
this  text  for  my  guide,  these  dignitaries  may  or  may  not  retain 
a  chief  place  in  Christ's  Church.  If  they  do,  it  will  be  as 
workers,  and  not  for  any  other  reason.  The  text  is  clear. 
"  It  shall  not  be  so  among  you.  Whosoever  would  be  great 
among  you  shall  be  your  servant,  and  whosoever  would  be 
first  among  you  shall  be  your  bond  servant  or  slave ;  even  as 
the  Son  of  Man  came  not  to  be  ministered,  but  to  minister." 

Here,  then,  we  have  pointed  out  to  us  the  true  scope  for 
Christian  ambition,  with  specific  directions  as  to  the  manner 
in  which  it  can  be  followed  successfully.  As  we  might  have 
expected,  true  greatness  in  Christ's  service  is  within  the  reach 
of  all  His  followers,  within  the  reach  of  the  poor  as  well  as 
of  the  rich.  To  be  a  Christian  at  all,  means  that  you  are 
striving  to  please  God  in  your  daily  life;  that  you  are 
enthusiastically  loyal  to  Christ  your  Lord  and  Master;  that 
you  avail  yourself  of  the  help  of  God's  good  Spirit  so  freely 
offered  to  us  all ;  that  you  consecrate  life,  social  position, 
education,  yourself,  in  short — all  that  you  have  and  are,  to 
Christ  your  Lord,  placing  yourself  on  His  altar  as  a  living 


PREACHER  AND  COUNSELLOR  529 


sacrifice,  which  is  a  most  reasonable  thing  for  each  and  all 
to  do.  To  go  a  step  further  than  this,  and  to  seek  Christian 
distinctio7i^  is  to  excel  in  the  eye  of  Christ,  to  surpass  others 
in  working,  in  serving,  in  slaving  for  Christ.  The  eye  of  the 
Lord  passes  by  the  men  who  in  His  Church  forget  this 
lesson,  although  they  may  be  esteemed  great  among  men, 
as  Samuel  allowed  to  pass  by  one  after  another  of  the  likely 
sons  of  Jesse.  The  eye  of  the  Master  passes  by  one  after 
the  other  till  it  rests  on  the  humblest,  most  self-forgetful, 
most  diligent  Christian.  He'  is  the  chief,  he  is  the  first  in 
rank,  in  the  eye  of  our  Lord. 

And  his  place  and  his  reward  are  assured ;  no  one  can 
dispossess  him  of  them.  Here  surely  is  strong  consolation  to 
every  Christian  heart  sincerely  seeking  the  Master's  approval. 
This  choice  joy,  this  crown  of  human  life,  is  placed  within  the 
reach  of  all.  And  no  one  can  defraud  the  most  distinguished 
in  the  Master's  eye  of  his  merited  reward.  It  is  his,  and  it 
shall  be  given  to  him  by  the  Master  Himself.  Take  heart, 
therefore.  Christian  soldier,  your  Captain's  eye  is  never  off 
you;  He  knows  your  every  step.  Have  they  elbowed  you 
aside  because  you  are  old  or  ill  ?  Have  they  brushed  past 
you,  and  all  but  trodden  you  down  in  their  hasteful,  selfish 
rush?  Heed  it  not.  One  eye  is  ever  on  you.  You  can 
always  come  into  contact  with  the  Master  Himself,  whom 
you  love  and  serve. 

But  remember  and  please  to  be  quite  clear  about  this ; 
that  true  Christian  distinction  is  to  be  earned  by  work  only. 
You  can't  meditate  yourself  into  this  chief  place;  nor  can 
you  get  it  by  mere  asking.  It  will  not  be  bestowed  on  the 
man  whose  highest  Christian  effort  is  to  keep  a  diary,  in 
which  he  narrates  what  it  occurs  to  him  to  put  down  at  the 
end  of  the  day.  It  is  sweet  and  helpful  to  meditate ;  it  is 
good — especially  at  certain  times — to  keep  jottings  of  your 
thoughts  and  your  experiences ;  but  neither  your  diary  nor 
your  meditations  will  secure  for  you  a  chief  place  in  the  eye 
of  the  Master.  If  you  would  excel  you  must  do  it  by  work- 
ing for  Christ ;  you  must  be  like  Him  who  was  not  ministered 
to,  but  who  ministered  constantly  to  others,  giving  them  even 
His  very  life. 

Here,  then,  brethren,  a  glorious  prospect  opens  before  you. 
You  have  seen  the  platform  of  social  or  human  ambition,  on 
which  the  Saviour  does  not  frown,  but  only  declares  it  to 
be  inadequate.    We  have  attempted  to  describe  the  higher 

2  L 


530 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


Christian  platform  of  life  and  action,  conjoining  the  present 
with  the  future,  time  and  eternity,  the  light  of  Christ's  char- 
acter and  teaching  lighting  up  our  view  of  things.  From  that 
high  platform  of  Christian  devotion  we  come  to  answer  the 
further  and  still  higher  question,  as  to  distinction  in  the 
service  of  Christ;  and  we  have  heard  the  wonderful  and 
sublime  answer  of  Christ.  Distinction  can  be  earned  by 
work  done  for  Christ,  even  by  the  cup  of  cold  water,  if  you 
can  do  nothing  else.  Distinction  can  be  earned  by  work 
only,  and  once  earned,  no  one  whatever  can  defraud  you  of 
your  reward.  The  surprised  disciple  may  exclaim.  Lord,  when 
saw  we  Thee  hungry  and  gave  Thee  food  ?  But  He  will 
answer  as  He  did. 

Brethren,  I  know  that  your  heart  burns  within  you  with 
the  generous  glow  of  a  self-forgetful  Christian  devotion. 
You  would  work  for  Christ ;  you  would  serve  Him ;  you 
would  willingly  slave  for  Him.  And  you  are  ready  to  ask 
me.  What  are  we  to  do  ?  Does  your  mind  hasten  towards 
some  strange  scene,  some  distant  clime,  as  if  there  you  would 
serve  your  Lord  and  earn  His  approval  ? 

It  may  not  be  necessary  for  you  to  leave  the  scene  of  your 
present  pursuits ;  it  may  be  necessary  only  to  let  in  on  your 
daily  habits  and  thoughts  the  higher  teaching  of  this  morn- 
ing's lesson.  Thus  a  new  spirit  can  elevate  your  present 
daily  life.  The  work  done  can  be  done  for  Christ.  What 
are  you  to  do  ?  A  friend  can  advise,  a  pastor  can  teach  and 
guide,  but  Christ  Himself  can  inspire.  How  can  I  know 
what  you  can  do  for  Christ?  How  can  I  measure  your 
service  to  Him  ?  That  may  not  be  dictated  by  me.  That 
may  not  be  set  you  as  a  task  by  any  man.  That  is  a  ques- 
tion which  your  love  and  devotion  to  Him  alone  can  answer. 
How  your  life-service  shall  be  rendered  can  be  settled  only 
on  your  knees,  can  be  decided  only  in  sight  of  the  Cross 
and  in  view  of  Eternity.  What  I  say  is  this.  When  on  your 
knees,  when  in  view  of  that  Cross,  and  of  the  vast  cycles  of 
our  eternity,  then  be  ambitious^  then  consider  how  to  secure 
Christian  distinction.  You  know  now  how  to  obtain  it.  Let 
us  serve  for  it;  let  us  slave  for  it.  The  laurels  of  mere 
temporal  ambition  do  always  wither ;  but  the  crown  which 
shall  reward  your  Christian  ambition  shall  adorn  your  brow 
for  ever  and  ever. 


CHAPTER  XXI 


THE  RIPENED  LIFE  AND  THE  SICKLE 
(1898,  1899) 

We  have  already  seen  that  Mackenzie's  friends  noted 
during  the  years  1897  and  1898  a  remarkable 
mellowing  of  his  character.  It  is  now  our  duty,  as 
we  approach  the  end  of  his  life's  story,  to  speak 
more  definitely  on  that  topic.  It  may  not  be  too 
much  to  say  that  the  entire  course  of  his  words  and 
work  from  the  time  of  his  youthful  jottings  to  his 
last  labours  in  Hankey  have  shown  that  Mackenzie's 
nature  united  certain  apparently  inconsistent  qualities. 
He  was  a  man  of  great  strength  of  will  with  a 
capacity  for  what  we  must  call  "  driving  through  "  duties 
and  difficulties ;  but  with  this  there  was  united  an 
abundant  emotionalism  which  made  him  full  of 
sympathy  for  the  position  and  feelings  of  others. 
His  vigour  was  therefore  united  with  tenderness,  his 
fearless  judgment  was  only  tamed,  and  yet  was 
actually  controlled,  by  those  deep  springs  of  affection 
within  him.  The  preceding  chapters  have  already 
shown  how  wide  were  his  practical  interests  as  he 
looked  out  upon  the  problems  of  the  human  world 
around  him.  From  the  beginning  to  the  end  he  had 
within  him  the  passion  of  the  evangelist ;  at  no  time 
would  he  confess  that  he  subordinated  his  desire  for 
bringing  men  to  God  to  any  other  conception  of  duty. 
It  was  in  the  interests  of  this  task  that  he  was  drawn 
into  political  life,  and  from  political  labours  he  returned 
at  the  end  to  this.  And  yet,  he  was  able  at  no 
period  of  his  life  to  give  himself  solely  to  evangelistic 

531 


532  JOHN  MACKENZIE 


efforts.  He  had  a  sincere  and  earnest  interest  in  all 
sides  of  the  life  and  work  of  every  community  he 
touched.  Whether  at  Shoshong  or  Kuruman  or 
Hankey  he  ever  had  his  eye  upon  pastoral  as  well 
as  evangelistic  duties,  upon  educational  as  well  as 
pastoral,  upon  industrial  as  well  as  educational,  upon 
political  as  well  as  industrial.  With  Mackenzie  to 
think  was  to  act.  He  was  not  one  of  those  who 
could  see  something  that  ought  to  be  done  and  leave 
others  to  discover  it  ;  what  ought  to  be  done  he  must 
try  to  get  done  as  soon  and  as  well  as  circumstances 
and  his  own  powers  of  persuasion  and  work  could  do  it. 

As  we  have  seen,  the  period  of  life  which  he  spent 
at  Hankey  embraced  all  these  separate  interests,  and 
none  was  wholly  neglected  by  him.  That,  however, 
which  appeared  most  clearly  to  all  observers  was  not 
so  much  the  measure  of  success  which  he  attained, 
as  the  development  of  his  own  spirit.  He  quite 
evidently  impressed  all  who  came  in  contact  with 
him,  as  a  man  who  lived  for  the  sole  purpose  of 
doing  good  ;  his  self-sacrificing  labours  in  ail  direc- 
tions were  aimed  at  nothing  less  than  conveying 
some  definite  boon  to  some  individual  or  class.  And 
this  benevolence  of  spirit  was  recognised  as  being 
based  upon  his  religious  consciousness ;  he  was  no 
philanthropist  of  the  shallower  type,  doing  the  best 
for  men  out  of  mere  pity  for  their  temporary  or 
physical  disabilities ;  he  viewed  them  and  all  their 
burdens  of  disease  and  sorrow,  of  ignorance  and  strife, 
in  the  light  of  the  eternal,  and  he  strove  to  deliver 
them  from  these  because  he  walked  with  God.  There 
ran  ever  through  his  life  the  continuous  reference  of 
all  things  and  all  duties  to  the  name  and  will  of  God. 
This  did  not  appear,  indeed,  in  set  phrases,  for  no  man 
could  be  so  religious  and  yet  employ  so  little  of  the 
conventional  verbiage  of  religion  as  he.  But  men 
knew  that  his  religion,  his  dependence  in  all  and 


THE  RIPENED  LIFE  AND  THE  SICKLE  533 


through  all  upon  God  his  Father  and  Saviour,  was 
for  Mackenzie  the  deepest  and  the  highest  fact  in  his 
life,  and  the  root  of  all  that  he  did  and  hoped  to  be. 
The  powers  of  the  world  to  come  had  truly  entered 
into  his  experience  in  those  far-off  years  of  youth,  and 
through  all  the  intervening  decades  the  grasp  upon 
his  nature  had  become  more  firm,  subduing  the  entire 
manhood  to  their  sway. 

Before  we  come  to  tell  the  story  of  his  last  illness, 
it  may  be  well  to  illustrate  as  briefly  and  simply  as 
possible  the  truth  of  this  estimate  of  Mackenzie's 
ripened  Christian  spirit. 

There  is  no  direction  in  which  a  man  is  more 
severely  tested  than  in  his  attitude  towards  opponents 
in  public  life.  The  command  of  Jesus  that  men  should 
love  their  enemies  is  not  easy  to  obey  ;  still  less 
that  which  he  seems  to  have  described  as  the  supreme 
manifestation  of  such  love,  namely,  sincere  prayer  for 
those  that  are  deliberately  and  malignantly  hostile. 
Here  was  one  of  those  features  in  Mackenzie's  conduct 
which  most  impressed  those  who  watched  him  in  his 
public  work.  The  following  paragraphs  by  Mr  Henry 
Beard  of  Cape  Town,  a  most  careful  and  affectionate 
observer,  will  confirm  these  words : 

A  marked  feature  in  the  succeeding  years  was  the  fair 
and  generous  way  in  which  he  spoke  of  such  political 
opponents.  This  may  be  exemplified  from  the  pages  of 
"  Austral  Africa,"  but  it  was  still  more  significant  to  notice 
the  same  in  private  conversation  and  correspondence.  The 
tendency  of  political  life  everywhere,  but  especially  in  a 
Colony,  is  to  see  in  all  self-interested  motives  and  to  dwell 
on  the  personal  aspect.  This  was  a  man  who  was  too  large- 
minded  to  yield  to  such  a  tendency.  Habitually  seeking 
not  his  own,  he  thought  on  a  higher  plane,  and  could  not 
condescend  to  personal  resentment  where  momentous  in- 
terests were  in  question.  But  there  was  a  remarkable 
tenacity  of  purpose,  which  no  opposition  or  unfavourable 
circumstances  could  damp.    Most  men,  after  defeat  such  as 


534  JOHN  MACKENZIE 


he  suffered  when  he  resigned  office  in  Bechuanaland,  hope- 
less of  turning  the  tide,  would  have  returned  to  their  former 
work,  if,  like  him,  they  esteemed  it  highly.  He,  apparently 
roused  the  more  by  successful  opposition,  addressed  himself 
to  the  task  of  turning  the  official  mind  and  awakening  and 
directing  the  public  interest.  In  this  to  a  certain  extent  he 
succeeded. 

It  was  no  less  striking  to  see  the  same  man,  when  he 
found  how  other  questions  were  crowding  out  the  considera- 
tion of  South  African  problems  from  the  public  mind  in 
Great  Britain,  quietly  resuming  his  missionary  work,  still  of 
the  same  steady  mind,  watching  the  course  of  events,  and 
still  seeking  by  occasional  articles  in  English  periodicals  to 
influence  public  thought  in  favour  of  that  comprehensive 
policy,  which  he  deemed  so  vital  to  future  right  relations 
between  the  Mother  country  and  the  two  European  races 
and  the  Natives  in  South  Africa ;  or,  anon,  appealing  to  the 
reasonableness  and  better  feelings  of  the  Dutch  w^hom  he 
esteemed,  as  in  his  letter  to  President  Kruger  of  June  1896. 
Manifesting  no  resentment,  the  man  who,  for  a  while,  had 
played  so  prominent  a  part  in  connection  with  statesmen 
and  soldiers  and  the  large  affairs  of  public  life,  turned  back 
again  to  the  simple  and  obscure  duties  of  the  missionary 
hfe  as  he  found  them  at  the  old  colonial  mission  station  of 
Hankey.  There,  the  same  clear  judgment  and  the  mingled 
firmness  and  kindness  which  had  been  applied  to  subjects 
of  national  import  and  government  of  territories  was  em- 
ployed, with  no  less  interest  and  self-devotion,  to  settle  the 
details  of  village  allotments,  the  landlord's  rule  and  improve- 
ments, the  affairs  of  the  mission  school,  or  the  irrigation 
scheme.  Nor,  so  far  as  a  friend  could  detect,  was  there 
any  trace  of  unworthy  disappointment,  or  discontent,  in  that 
large  mind  and  heart.  At  Hankey  he  showed  the  same 
qualities  of  a  leader  of  men  as  in  Bechuanaland.  He  soon 
gained  the  regard  of  the  neighbouring  farmers,  to  whom  his 
name,  at  first,  must  have  been  synonymous  with  the  opponent 
of  their  race. 

Nothing  brought  a  keener  pain  to  Mackenzie's 
heart  than  the  suggestion  that  he  felt  ennaity  towards 
any  man.  When  he  read  in  a  newspaper  one  day 
a  reference  to  "  Mackenzie  and  Rhodes "  as  great 
public  foes,  he  turned  with  deep  feeling  to  his  wife 


THE  RIPENED  LIFE  AND  THE  SICKLE  535 


and  deplored  such  assertions,  adding  words  which 
from  his  lips  could  not  mean  anything  less  than  all 
that  is  most  sacred  and  sincere.  He  said  that  there 
was  no  one  beyond  his  immediate  family  circle  for 
whom  he  prayed  more  constantly  and  more  sincerely 
than  Mr  Rhodes.  Whether  a  man  who  stands  out- 
side of  the  Christian  experience  can  feel  the  true 
meaning  of  this  word  of  Mackenzie's  or  not,  those 
who  have  entered  into  that  life  of  prayer  as  an 
actual  weapon  and  who  have  tried  to  use  it  for 
the  blessing  of  an  opponent,  can  appreciate  what 
that  utterance  implies.  That  kind  of  prayer  can 
only  be  preceded  by  a  personal  struggle  and  personal 
victory  over  self. 

The  affectionateness,  the  sympathy  of  Mackenzie's 
nature  shows  itself  most  clearly  in  relationships,  and 
in  the  presence  of  events,  which  make  it  hard  to 
find  and  publish  illustrations. 

Fortunately  one  of  his  daughters,  who  left  her 
home  at  Hankey  for  a  period  of  study  in  Germany, 
under  conditions  of  health  which  made  the  separation 
a  great  trial  to  herself  and  her  parents,  is  willing  to 
have  the  following  extracts  from  her  father's  letters 
printed,  simply  that  he  may  be  better  known  to 
the  readers  of  these  pages. 

Hankey,  April  '97. 

I  think  it  would  be  good  for  you  and  it  would  be  de- 
lightful for  us  if  you  came  south  any  time  next  week.  I 
have  no  copy  of  the  Cotitemporary.  I  don't  suppose  there 
will  be  one  obtainable  in  Kimberley.  It  will  be  most 
serviceable  if  Mr  Ropes  reprints  the  article  in  one  sheet 
as  an  Advertiser  supplement.  See  the  Spectator.  It  has  a 
swinging  review  of  the  article  for  which  I  am  very  thankful. 
Try  to  see  the  Speaker  also.  I  have  not  seen  it.  Mr 
Percy  Bunting  of  the  Cofttemporary^  writes  me  that  the 
article  is  attracting  great  attention  at  home,  and  that  he 
(Bunting)  has  offered  the  (Chartered)  Company  space  in 
the  Contemporary  for  a  reply.    He  expresses  an  opinion  as 


536  JOHN  MACKENZIE 

to  the  probability  of  this  taking  place,  which  it  would  be 
hazardous  to  quote  ;  he  might  be  mistaken.  I  am  delighted 
about  the  reprint  in  this  country,  because  my  great  object 
is  to  unite  all  progressive  men  in  this  country  in  the  hearty 
recognition  of  the  Imperial  Government  in  Native  Territories, 
till  these  are  fit  for  responsible  government. 

Hankey,       Nov.  '97. 

You  are  in  good  hands.  Your  Heavenly  Father's  arms 
are  underneath  and  around  you.  There  has  been  no  day 
that  we  have  not  thought  about  you,  ay  and  prayed  about 
you,  for  the  two  things  with  us  are  really  one.  .  .  .  The 
post  brings  us  the  news  of  Lord  Rosmead's  death.  I  am 
afraid  I  shall  be  compelled  to  refer  to  what  I  regard  as 
some  serious  mistakes  in  his  past  career  as  High  Com- 
missioner. It  makes  me  sad  to  think  of  his  decease.  We 
were  so  closely  connected  in  1883,  84,  85. 

The  Governor  (Lord  Milner)  has  gone  north,  saying 
everywhere  the  same  healthy  sound  things.  He  bids  fair 
to  become  popular  with  everybody. 

Hankey,  12nd  Dec.  '97. 

Perhaps  I  had  better  tell  you  my  present  circumstances 
that  we  may  be  in  sympathy  while  you  read.  The  cart  is 
to  start  early  to-morrow  morning  to  bring  in  John  and 
family^  from  Uitenhague.  Everybody  is  writing  elsewhere, 
and  I  am  in  the  old  place  that  you  know.  .  .  .  May  the 
good  Lord,  whose  you  are  and  whom  you  desire  to  serve, 
be  ever  with  you  all  the  New  Year ;  wherever  you  are. 
A  special  blessing  on  you,  dear,  I  humbly  ask  from  the 
Lord,  our  Father.  Pray  for  us  too,  dear  lassie,  and  so 
bind  ourselves  to  one  another  by  this  strongest  bond. 

When  we  discussed  your  going  to  Leipzig  we  concluded 
that  it  would  be  the  most  complete  change  ;  that  you  had 
commenced  with  a  certain  teacher,  and  that  there  would  be 
few  if  any  distractions  from  your  studies  as  a  student  in 
Germany.  I  don't  know  how  all  this  will  appear  to  you 
in  London.  I  only  recall  what  you  said  and  felt  here ;  to 
me  it  is  an  open  question  and  must  be  judged  by  you 
to  the  best  of  your  ability. 

I  have  just  written  a  note  to  John  with  greetings  to  the 
bairns,  and  to  say  that  there  are  a  few  apricots  in  the  garden. 
There  is  a  specially  good  crop  of  them  this  year.  Do 


THE  RIPENED  LIFE  AND  THE  SICKLE  537 


you  remember  the  white  gardener  who  was  with   ? 

He  is  now  with  us.  He  can't  speak  EngUsh.  He  has  not 
the  right  number  of  teeth  for  clear  enunciation.  His 
thoughts  are  of  less  practical  value  to  us  than,  perhaps, 
their  own  merits  demand.  You  have  to  manage  matters 
by  direct  questions.  He  is  capital  for  looking  after  the 
fruit  in  the  garden;  and  the  servant  girls  got  a  "wakener" 
also  from  him,  despite  his  deficiency  as  to  teeth.  He  may 
be  said  to  have  shown  what  he  had  of  teeth  to  them. 

Hankey  {undated). 

Some  of  your  remarks  touch  me  keenly.  You  went  with 
an  object.  Go  forward  and  follow  it  out  in  God's  name, 
and  trusting  to  His  strength.  As  your  day  so  shall  your 
strength  be.  God  will  be  sufficient  for  you  every  day. 
There  may  be  no  great  overplus  of  strength,  but  you  will 
always  be  more  than  conqueror  against  everything  that 
opposes  you.  Make  up  your  mind  to  ignore  it.  God  will 
make  you  able  to  ignore  it.  Fill  your  mind  with  something 
else,  something  that  will  not  annoy  or  worry  you,  but  fill 
you  and  satisfy  you.  I  hope  you  follow  my  meaning.  It 
is  quite  clear  to  myself :  and  1  have  trod  the  road  myself. 
So  cheer  up !  you  can  do  all  things  through  Christ 
strengthening  you.  Lean  on  that  and  fear  nothing. — Your 
father. 

Hankey,  \st  March  '98. 

We  are  all  well  here,  and  all  full  of  confidence  that  you 
are  also,  and  going  to  be,  well — a  joy  to  yourself  and 
satisfaction  before  your  God  and  Father  :  and  a  joy  to  us 
all  who  belong  to  you. 

Hankey,  13//^  April  1898. 

I  was  so  glad  that  you  were  feeling  so  fit  and  even 
joyous  with  reference  to  the  work  before  you  and  generally 
with  reference  to  your  future. 

"That's  my  brave  lassie!"  says  one  thought.  "That's 
my  humble  trustful  daughter  in  the  Lord,"  says  my  whole 
soul.  I  have  no  fear  whatever,  my  dear,  concerning  your 
affairs.  The  good  Lord  will  uphold  you  and  see  you 
through  every  maze  and  over  every  difficulty.  Live  near 
to  Him,  confide  in  Him,  and  He  will  not  disappoint  you. 


538  JOHN  MACKENZIE 


Hankey  {undated). 

...  I  am  reminded  of  post  time,  so  good-night,  dearie, 
over  the  land  and  over  the  ocean  in  the  directest  way — 
by  way  of  the  throne  and  the  Heart  of  God  our  Father. 
A  blessing  abide  on  you  all  the  days  and  every  day  ! 

Hankey,  25//;  May  1898. 

That  was  a  delicious  letter  which  you  sent  to  me.  I  am 
thankful  for  it.  It  has  been  quite  a  joy  to  me.  It  will 
surprise  you  more  and  more  how  very  successful  we  people 
can  be  in  shutting  out  our  beloved  Father  from  the  world 
of  our  hearts  and  thoughts.  How  glorious  is  even  a  glimpse 
of  communion  with  Him  !  For  is  he  not  Love,  Beauty,  Light, 
Mercy,  and  always  our  Strength  ?  We  can  do  all  things 
through  Jesus  Christ.  May  all  your  days  be  bright,  my 
dear  lassie,  Divine  strength  encircling  you.  .  .  .  They  are 
beginning  to  talk  learnedly  about  the  great  benefit  of  a 
journey  to  Kimberley.  Of  course  Het  is  going — that  is 
long  settled.  Then  your  mother  would  undoubtedly  be 
much  better  of  a  visit  to  Kimberley.  But  it  would  appear, 
also,  according  to  John,  that  there  are  special  indications 
that  I  should  perform  this  tour.  I  am  going  to  write  to 
old  Mr  Philip  of  Graaf  Reinet.  If  he  can  come  down  and 
take  my  place  here,  then  we'll  a'  gang  thegither;  but  if 
he  cannot  do  so,  then  I  shall  stay  where  I  am — which  is 
not  at  all  a  bad  place ! 

...  So  cheer  up,  dearie,  we  are  hand-clasping  across  the 
sea.    Paper  is  done.    Very  much  love. 

Hankey,  \sth  June^g^. 

Can  you  find  any  means  of  getting  more  of  human 
companionship — some  one  to  supply  Mary's  place,  as  far  as 
possible  ?  Look  around  you  and  see.  It  would  be  nice 
for  you  to  share  rooms  with  a  girl  of  the  right  sort.  God 
grant  that  you  may  find  her.  ...  In  the  meantime,  you 
are  plodding  away — determined  not  to  be  discouraged  or 
driven  back.  Stronger  is  He  who  is  with  you  than  all 
that  can  be  against  you.  It  is,  I  am  sure,  a  matter  which 
prayer  and  faith  in  the  nearness  of  Christ  can  conquer. 
Trust  in  Him  with  all  your  heart  and  He  will  bring  you 
through.  But  nice  human  intercourse  makes  your  life 
easier.    If  you  can  only  secure  it,  do  not  let  the  question 


THE  RIPENED  LIFE  AND  THE  SICKLE  539 


of  money  keep  you  apart  from  good  companionship.  It 
will  be  such  a  help  to  you  in  every  way.  And  may  God 
bless  and  guide  you,  my  dear  girl. 

.  .  .  To-morrow  is  going  to  be  a  "great  occasion" — a 
"pink  and  white  tea."  Proceeds  for  a  new  harmonium  for 
the  church.  Are  you  all  attention  ?  Perhaps  some  one  will 
be  able  to  describe  it  to  you.  I  believe  my  pink  tie  is 
prepared.  You  can  easily  guess  by  whose  deft  fingers.  The 
white  will  be  supplied  I  hope  by  the  shirt  part.    With  love. 

Thornhill,  26M  June  '98. 

I  have  been  thinking  of  you  and  your  friends  on  your 
pedestrian  tour.  I  feel  sure  you  will  have  enjoyed  it  very 
much.  And  I  trust  it  will  do  you  very  much  good.  I  am 
very  much  pleased  to  hear  that  you  are  purposing  to  have 
Miss  M.  to  share  your  rooms.  It  will  render  you  much 
happier  to  be  in  companionship.  I  came  in  here  yesterday 
afternoon.  Conducted  services  last  night  in  Dutch  ;  church 
full.  To-night  public  meeting  ;  to-morrow  go  into  "  the  Bay." 
There  was  some  talk  about  our  going  north  also ;  but  I  do 
not  see  my  way  at  this  time.  Very,  very  much  love,  my 
dearie.    Rest  in  the  Lord ;  He  will  bring  it  to  pass. 

Hankey  {undated). 

Jeanie  and  I  came  back  last  night  from  Humansdorp.  We 
were  there  one"  night.  Jee  at  the  Bakers',  and  I  at  the 
Magistrate's,  in  their  new  house.  The  occasion  was  the 
opening  of  the  new  Public  School,  which  has  been  named 
the  Milner  Institute.  The  "function"  was  on  Monday  at 
II  o'clock.  There  was  a  great  turn  out  of  Beauty  and 
Fashion :  you  can  take  your  choice  as  to  under  which  head 
you  will  put  Jee  and  myself.  .  .  . 

Hankey,  Cape  Colony, 
i^th  Oct.  1898. 

Do  you  know  where  I  am  sitting  this  evening  ?  Well,  I'll 
tell  you.  I  am  sitting,  as  it  might  be,  at  the  foot  of  the  bed 
in  the  end  room,  next  the — hm — the  henhouse !  I  am 
sitting  in  the  corner  nearly  opposite  the  window  of  the  old 
bedroom,  which  is  now  a  glass  door  from  the  Bay  !  So  that 
you  do  not  need  to  go  further  when  you  come,  if  you  wish  to 
see  me,  than  to  stop  at  the  pipe  where  we  water  our  flowers, 
because  my  door  is  there,  or  very  near  to  it.    I  am  sitting 


540 


JOHN  MACKENZIE 


looking  towards  the  window  wliich  was,  of  the  little  study. 
It  is  now  nearly  overgrown  with  ivy  outside.  But  much 
nearer  to  me  as  I  sit,  there  is  another  window  driven  into  the 
wall  next  to  the  yard,  not  far  from  the  end  of  the  oven  ! 

...  It  is  very  nice  to  hear  of  your  pegging  away  at  your 
studies,  and  it  is  also  to  be  noticed  that  occasionally  and 
lately,  there  has  been  some  mention  made,  vague,  undated,  of 
your  return  to  this  fair  land.  I  did  not  fail  to  note  what  was 
said. 

Hankey,  ind  Nov.  1898. 

I  have  been  longing  to  write  to  you  for  some  time ;  so 
here  goes.  Not  that  I  have  much  to  say  that  is  worth 
writing.  Only  I  should  just  like  to  send  a  wee  note.  I  have 
been  delighted  with  your  letters  lately. 

This  is  just  a  word  of  greeting,  a  good  cheer  to  you.  Do 
not  be  alarmed  at  all  by  what  may  be  written  about  your 
father.  He  has  not  been  very  well.  People  can't  be  always 
quite  well.    But  you  can  see  for  yourself  that  I  am  all  right. 

They  have  not  sent  out  the  assistant  whom  they  promised 
me,  but  I  am  aware  that  it  is  difficult  sometimes  to  find  the 
kind  of  man  wanted.  I  have  no  doubt  Mr  Thompson  will 
be  doing  his  best.  ...  I  think  I  shall  hand  this  on  to  the 
young  people  to  finish.    With  love  always,  your  father. 

Hankey,  30M  Nov.  1898. 

Your  mother  is  going  to  write  this  letter  to  you,  but  I 
thought  I  would  just  begin  it  for  her.  That  is  our  way  of 
doing  things,  you  know — for  instance,  our  way  of  cooking  a 
dinner ;  your  mother  does  it,  only  I  look  in  to  see  that  it  is 
all  right.  So  now  I  am  going  to  bed,  and  she  is  to  write  our 
letter  to  you,  my  very  dear  lassie. 

Towards  the  end  of  1897,  Mackenzie's  health 
became  very  unsatisfactory  ;  a  slight  twist  which  he 
gave  to  one  knee  resulted  in  symptoms  of  a  most 
unfavourable  kind.  But  he  persisted  in  work,  walking 
up  and  down  the  steep  hills  of  Hankey,  carrying  on 
his  business  negotiations  and  his  pastoral  duties  as 
diligently  as  ever.  When  Mr  Wardlaw  Thompson, 
the  foreign  secretary  of  the  London  Society,  visited 
Hankey  in  March  1898,  he  was  struck  with  the  great 


THE  RIPENED  LIFE  AND  THE  SICKLE  541 


change  in  Mackenzie's  appearance ;  his  hair  had 
whitened  rapidly,  and  his  movements  gave  unmistakable 
signs  of  weakness.  It  had  been  long  before  felt  that 
Mackenzie  ought  to  have  an  assistant  at  Hankey,  and 
this  was  urged  upon  Mr  Thompson  with  great 
emphasis  at  this  time ;  his  own  judgment  clearly 
approved  of  that  step,  although  obstacles  arose  to 
prevent  the  Directors  from  taking  it. 

In  the  month  of  April  following,  Mackenzie's  mind 
was  full  of  the  approaching  marriage  of  his  third 
daughter,  Elizabeth  Douglas,  to  Mr  Edward  Sheilds  of 
Kimberley.  This  event,  which  affected  him  very 
deeply,  took  place  on  the  anniversary  of  his  own 
wedding  day,  April  27th,  1898.  He  invited  his 
friend,  the  Rev.  William  Dower  of  Port  Elizabeth,  to 
come  and  assist  him.  On  the  evening  of  the  26th, 
while  the  house  was  full  of  guests  and  gaiety,  he  took 
Mr  Dower  into  the  garden  to  arrange  with  him  for  the 
service  on  the  morrow.  When  asked  by  him  to  take 
the  main  part  and  tie  the  knot  Mr  Dower  demurred, 
urging  that  Mackenzie  should  himself  perform  that 
sacred  duty.  But  the  latter,  sitting  down  on  a  rustic 
seat,  and  making  his  friend  sit  beside  him,  held  out  his 
hand,  and,  pointing  to  the  swellings  on  his  fingers, 
said,  "  You  know.  Dower,  that  I  have  had  some 
experience  with  medicine  and  have  become  familiar 
with  some  facts.  Now  you  see  these  fingers  ?  I 
know  that  when  thai  is  there  it  means  that  there  is 
something  (pointing  to  his  heart)  very  seriously  wrong 
in  here.  Accordingly,"  he  continued,  "  I  know  that 
I  ought  not  to  undertake  that  part  of  the  service  which 
I  might  be  unable  to  carry  through  to-morrow,  and  so 
I  will  just  begin  it  and  you  will  do  the  rest."  To  this, 
of  course,  there  could  be  no  answer,  and  his  sorrowing 
friend  braced  himself  for  what  was  now  for  him  a 
service  of  peculiar  pathos  and  significance. 

Two  or  three  months  later,  Mackenzie  found  him- 


542  JOHN  MACKENZIE 


self  involved  in  heavier  burdens  than  ever.  Mr 
J.  S.  Hultzer,  who  had  for  years  acted  as  business 
agent  for  the  Society  at  Hankey,  resigned  his  posi- 
tion, to  engage  in  the  publication  of  a  newspaper  at 
Humansdorp.  While  Mr  Hultzer  agreed  to  conduct 
necessary  official  duties  from  Humansdorp  until  a 
successor  was  appointed,  his  removal  nevertheless 
entailed  much  additional  care  upon  Mackenzie.  The 
latter  was  deeply  interested  in  Mr  Hultzer  and  his 
new  project,  and  he  agreed  to  write  an  editorial 
article  every  week  for  that  paper.  This  usually 
absorbed  Mackenzie's  time  on  Wednesday  evenings. 
Late  on  that  afternoon  the  mail  arrived  from  Port 
Elizabeth,  bringing  him  his  home  and  colonial  news- 
papers, as  well  as  correspondence  ;  and  he  spent  long 
hours  in  studying  the  political  situation  before  pro- 
ceeding to  discuss  it  in  his  next  article,  which  he 
wrote  the  same  evening. 

A  collapse  came  on  October  22nd,  1898,  when 
another  "  stroke  "  fell  upon  him,  once  more  depriving 
him  of  power  over  his  limbs  and  for  a  little  while 
even  of  the  power  of  speech.  The  latter  he  quickly 
regained,  the  former  returning  more  slowly.  His 
alarmed  household  at  once  telegraphed  to  his  former 
assistant,  and  dear  friend,  the  Rev.  Cullen  Reed,  now 
a  missionary  in  Matabeleland,  who  very  promptly 
responded,  and  reached  Hankey  in  the  month  of 
November.  His  presence  there  was  an  immense 
relief  to  Mackenzie,  as  it  enabled  him  to  go  away 
for  change  and  rest.  The  demands  upon  him  may 
be  illustrated  by  the  fact  that  only  a  fortnight  after 
his  stroke  he  felt  compelled  to  attend  a  meeting  of 
Hankey  tenants  and  landowners,  to  plan  for  the 
irrigation  of  a  piece  of  land  whose  crops  were 
threatened  with  destruction  !  In  December,  Mackenzie 
and  his  wife  left  for  Kimberley,  where  they  stayed 
with  their  son,  Dr  J.  Eddie  Mackenzie.     Here  he 


THE  RIPENED  LIFE  AND  THE  SICKLE  543 


received  every  attention,  and  was  closely  watched 
by  more  than  one  physician.  Some  progress  was 
made,  but  many  of  his  friends  saw  that  improvement 
could  only  be  slight  and  temporary.  Letters  began 
to  pour  in  from  all  quarters,  expressing  sympathy 
with  him,  and  many  of  these  touched  him  deeply. 
He  avoided  political  discussion  as  much  as  possible, 
refraining  from  reading  the  newspapers,  and  giving 
himself  up  to  light  literature,  short  walks,  and  quiet 
conversation  with  his  family.  He  could  not  do  more 
than  write  a  few  words  to  his  children  on  other 
continents  and  in  South  Africa.  The  end  was 
hastened  by  a  rash  deed  which  came  from  his 
parental  love.  His  son,  Mr  J.  D.  Mackenzie,  was 
engaged  on  an  important  case  before  one  of  the 
judges  in  Kimberley,  and  Mackenzie  determined  to 
go  down  to  the  court.  He  went  out  towards  noon 
of  a  very  hot  day,  became  interested  in  the  case, 
and  sat  for  two  or  three  hours  following  it  closely. 
Then  he  walked  all  the  way  home,  missing  the 
carriage  which  his  medical  son  brought  to  take  him 
home.  Almost  immediately  the  final  stroke  fell. 
His  strong  constitution  fought  hard  for  some  days, 
but  the  end  came  rapidly.  He  knew  what  the 
result  must  be ;  yet,  with  what  was  no  doubt  his 
characteristic  considerateness  for  others,  he  avoided 
all  reference  to  it,  meeting  his  death  as  he  had  met 
all  the  tasks  of  life,  with  unflinching  courage,  indomi- 
table faith,  and  unwearied  sympathy  for  those  around 
him.  On  the  23rd  of  March  1899,  the  toiler  fell 
on  sleep  and  rested  from  his  labours.  He  was  buried 
in  the  cemetery  at  Kimberley  two  days  later.  The 
funeral  was  largely  attended  by  the  citizens  of 
Kimberley,  of  all  shades  of  opinion. 

A  memorial  service  was  held  in  the  Scottish  Church 
at  Kimberley  on  the  Sunday  following,  March  26th, 
when  a  careful  and  generous  estimate  of  Mackenzie's 


544  JOHN  MACKENZIE 


life  was  delivered  by  the  Rev.  Henry  Richards,  the 
minister  of  the  church. 

During  those  days,  telegrams  came  in  large  numbers 
from  all  the  Colony  and  from  almost  every  continent ; 
tributes  of  admiration  for  his  character  and  work 
appeared  in  all  the  English-speaking  newspapers  in 
South  Africa,  and  in  nearly  every  daily  newspaper 
throughout  Great  Britain.  Many  of  these  obituary 
notices  ran  to  considerable  length,  and  were  evidently 
written  by  men  who  had  watched  his  career,  and  had 
formed  a  high  opinion  of  his  services  to  mankind  and 
to  the  British  Empire.  Private  letters  were  sent  from 
all  kinds  of  people,  from  Khame  and  from  the  High 
Commissioner,  from  fellow-workers  in  Church  and 
State,  from  poor  parishioners  in  Hankey,  and  from 
young  men  whom  he  had  guided  to  the  best  life. 

As  soon  as  was  possible  many  political  associations 
and  public  bodies  in  South  Africa  passed  resolutions 
concerning  Mackenzie's  services  to  the  country  and 
expressing  sympathy  with  his  widow  and  family. 

For  all  who  were  connected  in  any  way  with 
Mackenzie,  it  has  seemed  a  most  strange  fact  that 
within  eight  months  after  his  death  his  beloved  South 
Africa  was  plunged  into  the  shame  and  horror  of  the 
great  war ;  truly  he  was  taken  from  the  evil  to  come. 
About  a  year  before,  a  friend  asked  him  at  Hankey 
whether  he  thought  a  war  between  the  British  and 
the  Transvaal  would  be  likely  to  occur.  He  stopped 
suddenly,  stamped  his  stick  emphatically  upon  the 
ground,  with  a  gesture  some  of  his  friends  remember, 
and  said,  "  That  would  be  an  unspeakable  disgrace." 
It  would  be  surpassing  all  the  responsibilities  of  a 
biographer  to  attempt  to  form  a  judgment  of  what 
Mackenzie  would  have  said  about  the  war  if  he  had 
been  alive  and  full  of  health  and  strength.  It  is  safe 
to  say  that  he  would  have  thrown  all  his  energies  into 
the  task  of  saving  South  Africa  from  such  disaster  ; 


THE  RIPENED  LIFE  AND  THE  SICKLE  545 


how  he  would  have  attempted  it  no  one  may  try 
to  estimate.  It  is  sufficient  to  know  that  his  heart 
would  have  brooded  with  an  infinite  sorrow,  not  only 
over  the  evil  and  indefensible  policy  of  the  Republics, 
but  over  all  the  blunders  in  the  past  relations  of 
Great  Britain  to  South  Africa  which  at  long  last 
made  this  war  appear  all  but  inevitable.  In  public 
as  in  private  life  it  is  uncourteous  to  say,  "  I  told 
you  so."  But  it  may  not  be  ungracious  for  a  bio- 
grapher to  say  to  those  official  guides  of  British 
South  African  policy  who,  ten  and  twenty  years 
ago,  were  leading  their  country  into  this  disaster, 
"  He  told  you  so."  And  not  he  alone,  be  it  re- 
membered. Mackenzie's  was  never  a  solitary  voice, 
even  when  he  spoke  on  behalf  of  the  true  Imperial- 
ism in  the  development  of  South  African  territories. 
He  always  had  the  joy  and  confidence  which  arose 
from  knowing  that  strong  minds  agreed  with  his, 
and  that  men  of  wider  political  experience  and 
higher  official  authority,  both  in  South  Africa  and 
in  Great  Britain,  believed  in  the  principles  which 
he  expounded  and  in  the  policy  for  which  he  so 
passionately  pled. 

It  is  strange  to  look  over  Mackenzie's  life  and 
realise  at  once  the  variety  of  his  achievements,  and 
the  curious  fate  that  has  fallen  upon  much  of  his 
work  on  its  outward  and  earthly  side.  Khame's 
people  were  led,  nearly  twenty  years  ago,  away  from 
Shoshong  to  found  a  new  capital  at  Palapye.  Over 
at  Shoshong  itself  the  old  mission  station  is  abandoned, 
and  its  many  buildings,  on  which  several  missionaries 
spent  so  much  labour,  have  crumbled  into  ruins. 
Kuruman  has  fallen  from  being  one  of  the  capitals 
of  Bechuana  life  to  the  position  of  a  remote  and  un- 
influential  village ;  and  the  educational  institutions, 
which  Mackenzie  hoped  to  see  expanding  into  great 
centres  of  influence  over  all  the  land,  have  dwindled 


2  M 


546  JOHN  MACKENZIE 


into  insignificance.  When  he  engaged  in  the  task 
of  saving  the  interior  of  South  Africa  for  the  British 
Empire,  he  did  work  which  indeed  remains  ;  but  he 
saw  the  honour  and  pleasure  of  realising  it,  snatched 
from  his  hands  and  transferred  to  those  very  men 
who  had  not  aided  but  hindered  its  inception.  When 
he  had  carried  on  his  long  years  of  toil  in  London 
and  throughout  England  for  the  creation  of  a  true 
Imperialism,  the  awakening  of  a  sense  of  responsi- 
bility amongst  Englishmen  and  Scotsmen  for  the 
whole  of  South  Africa,  he  again  saw  the  ideas  which 
he  had  sown  broadcast  reaped  as  a  rich  harvest  by 
those  whose  spirit  was  opposed  to  his  own,  and  whose 
theory  of  Imperialism  he  considered  untrue  and  un- 
practical. And,  again,  when  he  forsook  this  wider 
sphere  of  activity  and  went  to  the  little  corner  at 
Hankey,  it  was  to  build  up  new  hopes  and  to  lay 
foundations  of  new  schemes  ;  yet  when  well  within 
sight  of  realising  some  of  these,  he  was  once  more 
removed,  his  work  put  into  the  hands  of  others  and 
the  schemes  which  he  planned  left  for  them  to  fulfil. 

But  he  would  be  short-sighted  indeed  and  ignorant 
of  the  Christian  valuation  of  life  and  a  life's  work, 
who  would  pronounce  this  varied  career  anything 
less  than  nobly  successful.  There  is  another  side. 
To  have  moulded  the  life  of  a  whole  tribe  directly 
and  through  its  great  chief,  as  Mackenzie  moulded 
the  Bamangwato  ;  to  have  exercised  the  wide  educa- 
tional and  spiritual  influence  over  all  Bechuanaland 
which  he  did  from  Kuruman ;  to  have  been  the 
man  who  first  forced  Great  Britain  to  face  her  God- 
given  task  of  controlling  the  destinies  of  the  entire 
region  from  the  Cape  to  the  Zambesi ;  to  have 
set  forth  from  platform  and  pulpit,  in  magazine 
and  volume,  in  newspaper  and  blue-book,  the  true 
principles  of  British  policy  in  relation  to  all  the 
races,  of  that  vast  region  ;  to  have  gone  back  and 


THE  RIPENED  LIFE  AND  THE  SICKLE  547 


done  his  best  for  one  community,  small  though  it 
was,  in  Hankey,  while  yet  helping  as  he  did  to 
inspire  the  religious  enthusiasm  of  the  members  of 
his  own  denomination  throughout  the  country  ;  with  all 
and  through  all  these  great  tasks  to  have  maintained 
his  own  inner  life  of  fellowship  with  God,  unhindered 
unstained  ;  and  finally,  under  this  influence  to  have 
ripened  into  a  noble,  beautiful  character  whom  so 
many  loved,  and  from  whom  so  many  lives  received 
their  purest  impulses,  their  strongest  faith — surely  this 
deserves  to  have  spoken  over  all  its  pages  from  first 
to  last,  even  from  the  lips  of  man,  that  "  kindly  judg- 
ment "  which  he  hoped  to  hear  (and  hears,  we  trust) 
from  the  lips  of  his  Master,  "  Well  done  !  " 


APPENDIX  I 


WRITINGS  OF  JOHN  MACKENZIE 


I.  BOOKS 

1.  Ten  Years  North  of  the  Orange  River.     A  Story  of 

Everyday  Life  and  Work  among  the  South  African 
Tribes.  From  1859  to  1869.  Edinburgh:  Edmonston 
&  Douglas.    187 1. 

2.  Day   Dawn   in    Dark   Places.      London :    Cassell  & 

Company.  1883. 

3.  Austral  Africa  :  Losing  it  or  Ruling  it.    Being  Incidents 

and  Experiences  in  Bechuanaland,  Cape  Colony,  and 
England.  2  volumes.  London :  Sampson  Low, 
Marston,  Searle  &  Rivington.  1887. 


2.  PAMPHLETS 

1.  London  Missionary  Society.    Statement  made  by  the 

Rev.  J.  Mackenzie,  of  Bechuanaland,  at  a  Meeting 
held  at  Westminster  Palace  Hotel,  July  25,  1882. 
London  :  Printed  by  Yates,  Alexander,  &  Shepheard. 
1882.    Pp.  8. 

2.  Bechuanaland,  the  Transvaal,  and  England.     A  State- 

ment and  a  Plea.  London :  Printed  by  Yates, 
Alexander  &  Shepheard.    1883.    Pp.  14. 

3.  The  Transvaal  and  the  Bechuanas.    Report  of  Public 

Meeting  in  Edinburgh.  Edinburgh :  Printed  by 
Lorimer  &  GiUies.  1884. 

4.  The  London  Missionary  Society  in   South  Africa :  A 

Retrospective  Sketch.  London  :  Published  by  the 
London  Missionary  Society.     1888.  Pp.21. 

549 


550 


APPENDIX 


5.  Austral  Africa :  Extension  of  British  Influence  in  Trans- 
Colonial  Territories.  Proceedings  at  a  Meeting  of 
the  London  Chamber  of  Commerce.  Assembled  on 
the  14th  May  1888  to  hear  an  Address  from 
Mr  John  Mackenzie.  The  Right  Hon.  J.  Cham- 
berlain, M.P.,  in  the  Chair.  London :  P.  S.  King 
&  Son.    1 888. 

6.  Austral  Africa :  Extension  of  British  Influence  in  Trans- 

Colonial  Territories  (with  Map).  [Reprinted  from 
"The  Journal  of  the  Manchester  Geographical 
Society."]    Pp.  31. 

7.  Bechuanaland  and  the  Land  of  Ophir :  A  Paper  read  to 

the  British  Association  at  Bath  in  September  1888. 
From  the  "  Proceedings  of  the  Royal  Geographical 
Society."    November  1888.    Pp.  10. 

8.  Condition   of  Bechuanaland.      Statement   of  Facts. 

1882-1890.    London:  Alexander  &  Shepheard. 

9.  The  Christian  Outlook  in  the  Cape  Colony :  Being  the 

Chairman's  Address  to  the  Congregational  Union  of 
South  Africa.  Port  Elizabeth:  Printed  by  H.  C. 
Gray  &  Co.    1893.    Pp.  22. 

10.  The  Farmers  and  the  Miners  of  the  South  African 
Republic.  A  Friendly  Letter  to  President  Kruger. 
[Reprinted  from  Cape  Tmes^  July  20,  1896.]  Pp.  6 
(double  columns). 

3.  MAGAZINE  ARTICLES 

Nineteenth  Century 
South  Africa  and  England.    May  1883. 

Contemporary  Review 
England  and  South  Africa.    January  1884. 
The  Expansion  of  South  Africa.    November  1889. 
The  Chartered  Company  in  South  Africa.    March  1897. 
Bechuanaland.    February  1898. 


Good  Words 

Glances  at  South  Africa.  July,  August,  and  September  1898. 


APPENDIX  551 

Imperial  Federation 
Imperial  Government  in  South  Africa.    July  1888. 

Journal  of  the  Society  of  Arts 
Bechuanaland  and  Austral  Africa.    March  1886 

4.  NEWSPAPER  ARTICLES 

Many  Articles  appeared  either  as  Editorials  or  "  From  a 
Correspondent "  in — 

The  Diamond  Fields  Advertiser.  1877-1882. 
The  Scotsman.     1 883-1 890. 
The  Leeds  Mercury.  1884-1891. 

And  less  frequently  in  other  periodicals  in  Great  Britain  and 
South  Africa. 

5.  xMISSIONARY  REPORTS 

Extracts  from  Letters  or  special  Articles  appeared  from  time 
to  time  between  1859  and  1898  in — 

The  Chronicle  of  the  Londo7i  Missionary  Society. 

6.  MEMORANDA  AND  LETTERS 

Addressed  either  to  the  Foreign  Office  or  the  Colonial 
Office  were  printed  in  the  Parliamentary  Blue-Books 
between  1878  and  1891.  A  complete  list  cannot  be 
obtained.  It  would  be  lengthy,  and  would  include 
some  elaborate  communications. 


INDEX 


Africa,  13,  31,  36 

"Afrikander  Bond,"  281,  287,  313, 

363,  366,  382,    508  (its  strong 

hold) 

Alexander,  Rev.  Dr  Lindsay,  38, 
261 

America,  United  States  of,  295 
Annexation,  what  is  it?  223,  224, 

243,  244,  276 
Arnold  Forster,  Mr  H.  O.,  401, 

416,  417,  460,  461 
Ashley,  Hon.    Evelyn,   292,  293, 

306,  385,  401 
Ashton,  Rev.  William,  46,  185,  187, 

188,  316 
Austral  Africa,  41 3-41 5,  420 

Baboons,  strange  habits  of,  97 
Baden   Pow^ell,    Sir  George,  388, 

406,  408,  424 
Baines,  Mr  Talbot,  304 
Bamangwato  (see  also  Shoshong  and 

Khame),  68,  72,  75,  79-84,  96, 

99,  ICQ,  107- 1 17,  178 
Barkly,  Sir  Henry,  291,  292,  293, 

294,  418,  419,  424,  425 
Barkly  West,  189 

Beard,  Mr  Henry,  393,  489,  508, 
509,  516,  533  1 

Beaufort  West,  49,  51,  S3  j 

Bechuanaland,  199-202  (disturb-  | 
ances  in),  206,  239  (under  British  j 
officers),  242,  245,  249  ff.  (de-  I 
serted),  275,  283,  317-320  (history,  1 
1882-1884),  397,  425,  430,  431,  ! 
433,  434,  443,  444,  446,  447, 
448,  463,  464,  467,  495,  496,  i 
497,  510  (Cape  Colony  at  vi^ar  ; 
in),  514,  515 

Bechuana  People,  their  progress  in  | 
civilization,    205,  221-223,  229, 
230 ;  their  wrongs,  205,  206,  228 

Bedford,  20,  21,  36 

Belgium,  King  of,  439 

Bible,  revision  of  Sechuana,  437, 
457-459,  466 


Bodenstein,  Mr,  337 

Boers,  two  classes  of,  270 

Bower,  Captain  (now  Sir)  Graham 
R.N.,  consults  with  Mackenzie, 
314;  telegraphs  Mr  Rhodes 
about  Mackenzie,  346,  347 ;  a 
suggestion  of,  353 ;  removes 
British  flag  from  Stellaland,  354  ; 
restores  Stellaland  flag  to  Nie- 
kerk,  354;  "might  have  done 
good,"  357;  instructions  modi- 
fied, 359  ;  his  political  "  style," 
366 ;  and  High  Commissioner, 

370  ;    would    help  Mackenzie, 

371  ;  and  Stellaland  petition, 
378,  379 ;  becomes  personal, 
420 

British  Association,  426 

British  Empire,  525 

British  Government  and  Sand  River 
Convention,  204 ;  how  forced 
north  of  Vaal  River,  204 ;  and 
border  tribes,  207 ;  and  para- 
mountcy  of  chiefs,  209  ;  appealed 
to,  213;  duty  to  Bechuanaland, 
223,  224 ;  proposed  administra- 
tion by,  229-230 ;  responsibility 
for  Bechuanaland,  239-241  ;  in- 
vited by  tribes,  241;  "pro- 
visional "  acceptance,  242,  249 ; 
a  kingdom  despised  by,  249 ; 
deserts  the  Bechuanas,  250,  251  ; 
the  real  question  for,  253,  254 ; 
its  border  policy,  275 ;  zigzag 
ways,  275  ;  and  supremacy,  276  ; 
its  gifts  to  the  Transvaal,  286 ; 
and  Colonial  co-operation,  289, 
299;  deserts  Bechuanaland,  317; 
embitters  Transvaal,  319;  op- 
posed by  British  subjects,  322  ; 
treats  offer  of  territory  coolly,  388  ; 
recalls  Warren  Expedition  too 
soon,  389  ;  its  real  question,  399  ; 
and  Bechuanaland,  402 ;  its 
responsibilities  in  South  Africa, 
411  J  and  supremacy,  429;  and  a 
553 


554 


INDEX 


Walvisch  Bay  railway,  431 ;  and 
Germany,  431  ;  its  opportunities 
in  South  Africa,  455,  456,  502, 
503 ;  and  Rhodesia,  501,  503, 
512 

British  South  Africa  Company, 
proposed  charter,  432 ;  why 
opposed,  434 ;  receives  charter, 
435>  438 ;  discussed,  436 ;  aid  by 
Mackenzie,  440-442  ;  its  policy, 
465,  495  ;  native  policy,  497, 
498,  500-502  ;  its  work  in  Mata- 
beleland,  499-500,  502,  503 ; 
"amalgamating  power,"  515 

Brown,  Rev.  John,  188 

Buxton,  Sir  Thomas  Fowell,  287, 

291,  294,  304,  389,  401,  426, 
432 

Calderwood,  Professor  Henry, 
295 

Cape  Argus,  The,  315,  384,  426 
Cape  Colony,  285,  300,  397,  398, 
402,  430 

Cape  Times ^  The^  315,  362,  425, 
508,  509 

Cape  Town,  38,  41,  47,  69,  129, 
133,  256,  313,  314,  362,  392, 
480,  523 

Causton,  Mr,  on  the  Chartered 
Company  and  missionaries,  433 

Chamberlain,  Mr  Joseph,  M.P., 
on  South  African  Committee, 
401  ;  and  proposed  Commission, 
405 ;  presides  at  Mackenzie's 
lecture,  422  ;  at  South  African 
Committee  Meeting,  431,  432 ; 
letters  from  Mackenzie  to,  443, 
445,  446  ;  and  Mackenzie's  ap- 
plication for  appointment,  449, 
450,  451  ;  as  Colonial  Secretary, 
494?  495  ;  letter  from  Mackenzie 
to,  496 ;  and  the  Raid,  498  ;  on 
the  Bechuanaland  War,  511 

Chesson,  Mr  F.  W.,  264,  291,  395, 
405,  408 

Claremont,  360 

Clark,  Dr  G.  B.,  M.P,,  284,  285, 

292,  403,  404 
"Colour-Question,"  The,  23,  518, 

519 

Conder,  Captain  C.  R.,  R.E.,  402 
Confederation    of    South  African 

States,  365,  455,  456,  497,  511, 

512  (its  conditions) 
Congregational    Union    of  South 

Africa,  516,  517,  520 


Contemporary  Review,  They  290, 
295>  297,  301,  436,  498-502, 
514,  535 

Convention  (1884),   The  London, 

298,  304.  360 

Convention  (1881),  The  Pretoria, 

251,  264,  268,  278,  280 
Convention  (1852),  The  Sand  River, 

43,  48,  57,  263,  280,  283 
Courtney,  Mr  L.,  M.P.,  265,  266, 

267 

Cullen,  Rev.  G.  D.,  37,  295,  385 
Currie,  Sir  Donald,  405 

Dale,  Dr  R.  W.,  277,  281,  308, 
348,  362,  368,  372,  404,  405 

"  Day -dawn  in  Dark  Places by 
John  Mackenzie,  279 

De  la  Ray,  A.  J.  G.,  338 

Delegates  from  the  Transvaal 
(1883-4),  proposed  visit,  280; 
their  "history"  of  Bechuana- 
land, 284 ;  and  the  Lord  Mayor, 
284  ;  receive  four  boons,  286 ; 
method  of  conference  with,  288  ; 
length  of  conference  with,  ex- 
plained, 297 ;  second  London 
Convention,  298,  304 

Derby,  Earl  of,  272,  273,  280, 
281,  285,  288,  289,  292,  293,  297, 

299,  300,  302,  306,  351,  356,  373, 
381,  384 

Douglas,  Miss  E.  B.,  loi,  130,  215, 
390,  404 

Douglas,   Miss   Ellen,  married  to 

John  Mackenzie,  38 
Douglas,  Rev.  John,  34,  75 
Dower,  Rev.  William,  541 
Dunn,  Sir  William,  401,  419,  420 

Edinburgh,  21,  295 
Edwards,  Mr  Samuel,  211 
Elgin,  2,  38,  260 
Elgin  Courant,  The,  3 
Ellison,  Sergeant-Major,  189,  190, 
194 

Enemies,  love  of,  523  f. 

Fauresmith,  59 

Fife,  Duke  of,  401,  442 

Fine  Arts  Society,  402 

Forster,  Mr  W.  E.,  M.P.,  287,  291, 

292,  304,  389,  396,  406,  418 
Fowler,  Sir  R.  N.,  M.P.,  265,  284, 

401,  427 
Frazer,  Rev.  Mr,  49,  51 
Frere,  Sir  Bartle,  194,  207,  216, 


INDEX 


555 


217,  227,  231,  233,  242,  250, 
253,  270,  287,  290,  294,  297, 
307 

Frere,  Sir  Bartle  C. ,  392 
"Frontier  Boers,"  285,  286 
Froude,  Mr  J.  A.,  402,  403 

GlLMORE,  Captain  Parker,  166 
Gladstone,  Mr  W.  E.,  250,  251  (and 

Pretoria  Convention),  251,  258, 

261,  266,  406 
Good  Words ^  514 
Gorst,  Sir  John  E.,  405,  406 
Grahamstown  Journal,  The,  422 
Grey,  Sir  George,  48 
Grey,  the  late  Earl,  287,  401,  460 
Grey,  Mr  Albert  (now  Earl),  401, 

433.  435,  442 

Haggard,  Mr  Rider,  419 

Hall,  Rev.  Arthur,  23 

Hall,  Rev.  Newman,  23,  71 

Hankey,  447,  448,  449,  457,  469- 
470  (described),  474-481  (indus- 
trial problems  of),  480-481  (and 
railway),  481-483  (and  district 
survey),  488,  532 

Hardeland,  Rev.  Dr,  77 

Helmore,  Rev.  Holloway,  46,  51, 
53,  55,  56,  64-67 

Hepburn,  Rev.  J.  D.,  135,  141, 
153,  154,  155,  167,  168,  177 

Herbert,  Sir  Robert,  288,  293,  363, 
382,  396,  449,  453 

Hofmeyr,  Mr  J.  H.,  287,  357,  365, 

367,  369,  393 

Hope  Town,  53,  54,  55 

High  Commissionership,  The,  dis- 
cussed or  referred  to,  276,  282, 
298,  324,  399,  400,  403,  406, 
408,  417,  424,  425,  427,  428,  438, 
454 

Hultzer,  Mr  J.  S.,  471,  473>  476, 

480,  542. 
Hyenas  (wolves),  stories  of,  97-99 

Imperial  Federation  League,  409, 
421 

Innes,  Mr,  of  Cape  Colony,  509 
Jorrissen,  Dr,  303 

Joubert,  Commandant  Piet,  349, 
354 

Jukes,  Rev.  J.,  21,  26 

Khame,  conversion,  60,  99  ;  fami- 
liar name  of,  69  ;  and  sorcery,  83 ; 
courageous  fight  of,  84 ;  flight 


for  safety,  107 ;  marriage,  108 ; 
opposes  heathen  father,  108  ff.  ; 
popularity,  109 ;  refuses  second 
wife,  109  ;  attacked  by  his  father, 
112;  returns  home,  116;  his 
moral  victory,  118;  welcomes 
back  Mackenzie,  135  ;  his  faith- 
fulness, 136;  persecuted  by 
Macheng,  137 ;  plot  against, 
139;  clemency  of,  140;  unselfish- 
ness of,  141  ;  and  Mackenzie,  142  ; 
accepted  chief,  142  ;  breaks  with 
heathen  ceremonial,  143-145  ; 
fights  importation  of  drink,  145- 
147  ;  message  to  Lobengula,  147, 
148 ;  leaves  Shoshong  to  father 
and  brother,  151  ;  generous  con- 
duct, 152  ;  returns  to  Shoshong, 
152;  his  fight  and  victory,  153- 
155  ;  his  Christian  spirit,  155  ; 
and  migrating  Boers,  174  ;  fare- 
well to  Mackenzie,  178;  affection 
for  Mackenzie,  387  ;  wins  respect 
of  British  officers,  387 ;  makes 
Britain  splendid  offer,  387 ; 
British  treatment  of  his  offer, 
388 ;  visits  England,  494,  496  ; 
message  from,  on  Mackenzie's 
death,  544 
Kimberley,  Lord,  258,  270,  272, 
273 

Kimberley  (Diamond  Fields),  189, 
190,  194,  204,  211,  217,  231,  315, 
321,  323,  391,  392,  430,  431,538 
543,  544 

Kirby,  Captain  John,  405,  406,  407, 

408,  417 
Knockando,  119 

Knutsford,  Lord,  395,  410,  431, 
432,  441,  442,  449,  452,  453 

Kolobeng  (Molepolole),  43,  133, 
181,  187 

Kruger,  President,  284,  285,  296 ; 
at  Cape  Town,  343  ;  confers  with 
Mr  Hofmeyr  and  Ministers,  343  ; 
prefers  Colonies  to  Imperial 
officers  as  neighbours,  343  ;  co- 
operates for  Mackenzie's  recall, 
344  ;  calls  Mackenzie  and  Robin- 
son "liars,"  345  ;  violates  London 
Convention,  360 ;  his  practical 
dilemma,  361  ;  meets  Sir  C. 
Warren,  377  ;  supplies  Transvaal 
with  arms,  438;  profits  by  raid, 
500 ;  Mackenzie's  open  letter  to, 
503-508 

Kuniman,  46,  48,  177,  179,  181, 


556 


INDEX 


184,  185,  187,  188,  192,  193, 197, 
203,  212,  213,  215,  217,  254, 388, 
389 

Kuruman,   an   African  Pretender, 

137,  138,  142,  175 
Kyd,  Rev.  Dr,  9,  10 

Land-jobbers,     their  activity, 

methods,  etc.,  316,  321-324 
Lanyon,  Sir  Owen,  205,  206,  208, 

210,  211,  217,  218,  220,  222,  224, 

227,  239,  240 
Leeds  Mercury,  The,  437 
Leonard,  Mr  J.  W.,  Q.C.,  362 
Liverpool  Chamber  of  Commerce, 

439 

Livmgstone,  David,  36,  37,  38,  43, 

44,  45>  59,  66,  67,  100 
Lloyd,  Rev.  E.,  387,  388 
Lobengula,  137,  138,  142,  147,  148, 

175,  428 

Loch,  Sir  Henry,  435,  440,  444, 

448,  452,  453,  467 
London    Chamber   of  Commerce, 

422,  426 

London  Missionary  Society  (or 
Directors  of),  7,  8,  13,  20,  21, 
42  ff.,  and  education,  180,  181  ; 
propose  native  training  school, 
181  ;  changeful  attitude  of,  185, 
186,  190,  191,  193 ;  its  educa- 
tional opportunity,  196,  197  ;  its 
minute  on  Mackenzie's  services, 
305-306 ;  its  generous  letter  to 
Mackenzie,  371,  372  ;  and  owner- 
ship of  Kuruman,  437,  447,  457  ; 
and  Hankey,  469,  470,  471 

Loring,  Mr  Arthur  H.,  397,  401, 
406,  416,  417,  418,  421,  432 

Lome,  Marquis  of,  417,  418 

Lovedale,  132 

Lowe,  Major  Stanley,  220,  242, 
327,  329,  331,  340 

Macheng,  99,  107,  III,  118-119, 
122,  124  (invites  British  control 
in  Bechuanaland,  1868),  127, 
129,  137-141,  165 

MACKENZIE,  JOHN 

Chapter  I. — Birth,  2;  school,  2; 
printer's  apprentice,  3 ;  joins 
literary  society,  4 ;  religious 
awakening,  5  ;  begins  a  diary, 
5  ;  first  communion,  6  ;  motto, 
8 ;  prayer  life,  8,  22,  23,  24, 
25-27.    30,    31,    33,  34,  35  ; 


applications  to  London  Mis- 
sionary Society,  8,  9,  10,  13, 
14,  20 ;  appointed  precentor, 
9,  10  ;  addresses  the  young  men 
of  Elgin,  19  ;  diary,  6-7,  8, 
10-14,  14-17,  18-19;  letter, 
9-10 

Chapter  //.—Student  at  Bedford, 
21;  student  habits,  26;  self- 
discipline  and  ill-health,  32,  33  ; 
holiday  trip,  34  ;  finds  his  wife, 
34,  36 ;  appointed  to  Central 
Africa,  36;  studies  at  Edin- 
burgh, 37  ;  ordained,  37  ;  mar- 
ried, 38  ;  sails  for  Africa,  38  ; 
his  missionary  ideal,  39,  40  ; 
Diary,  24-32,  32-34,  34-35; 
letters,  35,  36 

Chapter  III. — Speech  at  Cape 
Town,  47  ;  first  journey,  48  ; 
describes  waggon  travelling,  50, 
51,  52  ;  arrives  at  Beaufort,  53; 
Victoria  West,  53  ;  Hope  Town, 
55;  Kuruman,  53,  55;  invited  to 
a  church  at  Beaufort,  49,  55  ; 
and  the  German  mission,  58  ; 
in  charge  of  Kuruman,  59 ; 
visits  Orange  Free  State,  59  ; 
birth  of  first  child,  59  ;  starts 
for  Zambesi,  59 ;  arrives  at 
Shoshong,  60 ;  through  the 
Great  Desert,  61-63  ;  describes 
disaster  to  Makololo  mission- 
aries, 64-67 ;  plans  approved, 
68 ;  second  child  born  at  Sho- 
shong, 68  ;  arrival  at  Kuruman, 
69  ;  discusses  his  future,  70 ; 
visits  Free  State,  71,  74;  in- 
vitation to  Hope  Town,  71; 
work  at  Kuruman,  71,  74  ;  ap- 
pointment to  Shoshong,  71  ; 
discusses  this  and  other  plans, 
71-74  ;  arrives  at  Shoshong,  74 ; 
uncertainty  as  to  movements, 
74,  75,  77  ;  on  missionary 
policy  in  Bechuanaland,  78;  on 
Matabele  Raid,  78-85  ;  invited 
to  visit  Matabeleland,  85,  86  ; 
describes  visit,  87-93;  reception 
by  Moselekatse,  87,  88,  89; 
describes  the  chief,  90 ;  im- 
pressions of  mission  work,  91, 

92  ;  decides  not  to  settle  there, 

93  ;  death  of  his  daughter,  94; 
returns  to  Shoshong,  95  ; 
letters,  50-51,  51-53,  53-55, 
56-57,  61-85,  87-93,  94-95 


INDEX 


557 


Chapter  IV. — Would  irrigate  at 
Shosliong,  97 ;  killing  wolves, 
97,  98  ;  begins  work  at  Sho- 
shong,  100 ;  describes  native 
customs  and  beliefs,  101-103 ; 
builds  a  house,  103,  104 ;  his 
trust  vindicated,  104-106;  ex- 
tent of  work,  100,  108;  perse- 
cution by  Sekhome,  no  ;  visits 
native  combatants,  114,  117; 
fired  at,  117  ;  receives  his 
enemy,  119;  begins  church- 
building,  119-121;  his  native 
nickname,  121,  122  ;  the  first 
discovery  of  gold  in  South 
Africa,  122- 1 29  ;  advises  Ma- 
cheng  as  to  European  inrush, 
123-127;  first  touch  of  Imperial 
politics,  123-125  ;  visits  Trans- 
vaal, 126,  127;  visits  Kuruman, 
129;  visits  England,  130; 
deputation  experiences,  130, 
131  ;  writes  his  first  book,  131, 
132;  presentation,  132;  sails 
for  South  Africa,  132  ;  letters, 
101-102,  102-103,  107-115,  115- 
118,  120-121 

Chapter  V.  —  Arrives  in  Cape 
Town,  133 ;  tutor  of  native 
students,  133  ;  reception  at 
Shoshong,  135  ;  an  observation 
of,  136 ;  narrow  escape  from 
bullet,  141  ;  unique  trust  in,  by 
rival  chiefs,  142  ;  aiding  Khame 
as  to  a  heathen  custom,  143  ; 
addresses  the  tribe,  144,  145  ; 
at  a  conference  on  drink,  145- 
147  ;  visits  Matabeleland,  147 ; 
describes  his  visit,  148-149  ;  his 
remarkable  prophecy,  149,  150; 
narrow  escape  from  bullets, 
154 ;  work  as  tutor  and  preacher, 
156,  157;  pecuniary  circum- 
stances, 157,  158  ;  invitation  to 
Grahamstown,  158;  reasons  for 
hesitation,  159;  letters  and 
memoranda,  134-135,  139-14IJ 
143-145,  146-147,  149- 

Chapter  VL — Relations  to  traders, 

160  ff.;  postmaster,  160;  ex- 
ecutor   for   deceased  traders, 

161  ;  illustrations,  161-163  ; 
and  "Fitzgerald,"  164-165; 
his  Sunday  service  for  Euro- 
peans, 166,  167  ;  his  appear- 
ance, 166  ;  judicial  work  among 
Europeans,  167-169  ;  on  British 


responsibilities  in  South  Africa, 
169-173;  appeals  to  High  Com- 
missioner for  Imperial  exten- 
sion (1876),  173-177  ;  leaves 
Shoshong,  177  ;  letters,  etc., 
161,  162,  163,  165,  167-169, 

169-173,  173-177. 
Chapter  F//.— Chosen  tutor  of 
new  Institution,  181,  182  ;  his 
first  class,  183  ;  first  students 
passed,  184 ;  the  site  for 
the  Institution,  184,  185  ;  on 
the  educational  needs  of  the 
Institution,  192,  193  -  196  ; 
pastor  of  Kuruman  church, 
197  ;  variety  of  his  labours, 
198,  199;  illustrations  of  pastoral 
work,  199-202 ;  his  work  as 
tutor,  202;  letters,  etc.,  184, 
185-186,  191-193,  193-196,  199- 
202 

Chapter  VIII.  — Describes  robbery 
of  native  landowners,  204-206  ; 
and  industrial  development, 
208 ;  aroused  by  native  dis- 
turbances, 211;  warned,  212; 
refuses  to  ask  Government  aid, 
213 ;  courageous  act  of,  214, 
215  ;  on  treatment  of  natives, 
217;  beginning  of  administra- 
tive work,  220  ;  official,  220  ; 
his  new  plan,  221-223  5  de- 
mands only  justice,  222 ;  in- 
vited and  agrees  to  act  officially, 
224  -  225  ;  increase  of  his  in- 
fluence, 226  ;  letters,  etc., 
205-206,  211,  215-216,  216- 
217,  224-225 

Chapter  IX. — His  plan  for  Bechu- 
analand,  227-231  ;  meets  Sir 
Bartle  Frere,  231,  who  asks 
him  to  accept  Commissioner- 
ship  for  South  Bechuanaland, 
232 ;  discussion  of  proposal, 
233  -  234,  234  -  238  ;  how  he 
could  do  double  work,  237  ; 
urges  permanent  administra- 
tion, 240  ;  protests  against  aban- 
donment, 242  ;  expounds  the 
Imperial  relations  to  South 
Africa,  243-246  ;  his  territorial 
schemes,  245,  246;  proposals  for 
civil  work  disapproved  by 
L.  M.  S.,  247  ;  describes  their 
misapprehensions,  247-249  ;  de- 
scribes the  desertion  of  Bechu- 
analand,  250;  fights  by  letter 


558 


INDEX 


for  Bechuanas,  254 ;  describes 
his  Kuruman  plan,  254 ;  view 
of  Transvaal  responsibility  for 
disturbances,  255,  256  ;  leaves 
for  England  and  meets  Sir  H, 
Robinson,  256 ;  letters  and 
documents,  228-231,  233-234, 
234-238,  241,  243-246,  247-249, 
250,  254-255,  255-256 
Chapter  X. — Arrival  in  England, 
257  ;  the  public  attitude  towards 
South  Africa,  257-258  ;  his  first 
public  address,  258-259 ;  re- 
union with  children,  259,  260 ; 
Elgin  once  more,  260 ;  ordina- 
tion of  his  son,  260  ;  on  deputa- 
tion work,  261  ;  writes  to  Glad- 
stone, 261  ;  letter  to  W.  Dale, 
262-264  ;  work  in  London,  264  ; 
among  the  editors,  265 ;  on 
Mr  Morley  and  Mr  Courtney's 
attitudes,  266-267  ;  "as  the 
Choctaws,"  266  ;  at  the 
Colonial  Office,  268  ;  attitude  to 
Transvaal,  269;  varied  efforts, 
269-270 ;  Christmas  holiday, 
271  ;  the  arguments  he  met, 
271  ;  appeal  from  Mankoroane, 
272 ;  writes  a  pamphlet,  272 ; 
encouraged  by  Lord  Derby, 
273  ;  celebrates  silver  wedding, 
273  ;  article  in  Nineteenth 
Century,  274-277  ;  on  '*  clear- 
out  "  policy,  277  ;  letters 
and  documents,  etc.,  259,  262- 
264,  266,  270,  272,  273,  274- 
278 

Chapter  XI,— '^niQS,  "  Day  Dawn 
in  Dark  Places,"  279 ;  prepar- 
ing for  Transvaal  delegates,  279, 
280 ;  his  alarm  at  their  pro- 
posals, 281  ;  explains  their 
real  aim  to  be  supremacy, 
281-283 ;  their  attitude  to 
missions,  283  ;  gains  support 
of  Pall  Mall  Gazette  and  Spec- 
tator, 284  ;  exposes  Mr  Kruger's 
"history,"  284;  his  share  in 
the  Conference,  286 ;  pro- 
poses plan  for  governing  Bechu- 
analand,  289  ;  is  encouraged  by 
Lord  Derby,  290 ;  addresses 
meeting  at  Mansion  House, 
291  ;  describes  it,  292  ;  de- 
scribes interview  with  Lord 
Derby  and  Mr  Ashley, 
293  ;  opinion  of  Frere,  294 ; 


speeches  at  Edinburgh,  295  ; 
article  in  Contemporary  Review^ 
295-296 ;  his  poHcy  supported 
by  Sir  H.  Barkly  and  Sir  Bartle 
Frere,  297  ;  hesitatingly  ac- 
cepted by  Lord  Derby,  297, 
300 ;  opposes  cession  of  terri- 
tory to  overburdened  Trans- 
vaal Government,  299  ;  is 
offered  Deputy  -  Commissioner- 
ship,  300  ;  his  letters  of  accept- 
ance, 301  -  303  ;  his  motives 
attacked,  303  ;  congratulations, 
304  ;  cordial  minute  of  London 
Missionary  Society,  305,  306  ; 
farewell  breakfast,  306 ;  visits 
Frere  on  his  deathbed,  307,  308  ; 
sails  for  the  Cape,  308  ;  appear- 
ance and  work  described  by  Mr 
Stead,  309-311  ;  letters  and 
articles,  281-283,  285,  290,  292- 
294,  295-297,  301,  303,  305-306, 
307-308 

Chapter  X/I.—His  spirit  in  new 
enterprise,  312  ;  reception  of 
his  appointment  at  Cape  Town, 
313;  describes  it,  314;  recep- 
tion at  Kimberley,  315;  "sees 
both  sides,"  316 ;  Transvaal 
expansion  weakens  the  Trans- 
vaal, 319  ;  meets  difficulties 
among  British  at  Kimberley, 
321,  322  ;  describes  land- 
hunger  as  his  chief  obstacle, 
323 ;  and  the  intrigues  of 
opponents,  324,  325  ;  how  he 
invaded  a  hostile  republic,  325, 
326 ;  successful  negotiations 
with  Mankoroane,  326  ;  re- 
ception at  Vryburg,  328  ;  an- 
nounces Protectorate,  328  ;  his 
negotiations  with  Stellalanders, 
329  ;  appoints  Van  Niekerk 
as  Assistant  -  Commissioner, 
331  ;  his  success,  331  ;  arrives 
at  Mafeking,  332;  meets  the 
Boer  filibusters,  333;  danger- 
ous trip  to  Zeerust,  334  ;  com- 
pletes tour,  336  ;  reaches  Kuru- 
man, 336  ;  Taungs,  336  ; 
friendly  welcome  at  Vryburg, 
337;  "the  restorer  of  peace," 
338 ;  Boers  hoist  British 
flag,  338  ;  summoned  to  Cape 
Town,  339 ;  his  recall  and  its 
promoters,  340  ;  went  north 
with  confidence  of  Robinson, 


INDEX 


559 


340 ;  assured  of  his  support, 
341  ;  is  warmly  congratulated 
on  Vryburg  success,  341  ;  and 
Goshen,  341  ;  is  repeatedly  in- 
vited to  visit  Cape  Town,  341  ; 
is  hindered  in  raising  police 
force,  342  ;  is  debarred  from 
Cape  Town  visit,  343  ;  told  to 
do  the  impossible,  343  ;  is  told 
by  Robinson  of  Kruger's  Cape 
Town  influence,  343 ;  is  at- 
tacked by  Cape  Ministers, 
344 ;  is  misreported  by  Mr 
Rhodes,  344 ;  is  further  mis- 
reported  by  Mr  Rhodes,  346  ; 
is  supplanted  by  Mr  Rhodes, 
346,  347  ;  resigns,  347  ;  ex- 
plains resignation  to  Dale,  348- 
349  ;  letters,  etc.,  314-315,  315" 
316,  323-325,  339,  348-350 

Chapter  XIII.— And  the  Stella- 
landers  and  Mr  Rhodes,  352, 
353,  354;  his  resignation  ac- 
cepted, 356 ;  describes  his 
relation  and  work  at  Cape 
Town,  357-359;  engaged  to 
preach,  360 ;  his  recall  de- 
manded by  Transvaal,  361  ; 
addresses  great  meeting  at 
Cape  Town,  362  ;  his  work  in 
arousing  the  Colony,  363 ; 
lectures  to  Dutch  students  at 
Stellenbosch,  363 ;  publishes 
proposal  for  a  South  African 
representative  Commission,  364 ; 
describes  his  activities,  365  ; 
addresses  second  great  Cape 
Town  meeting,  367 ;  describes 
to  Dale  causes  of  resignation, 
368 ;  and  failure  of  Cape 
Ministers,  369 ;  explains  to  Mr 
Stead  reason  for  opposition  of 
Englishmen,  370  ;  an  offer  from 
Mr  Rhodes,  371  ;  generous  act 
of  London  Missionary  Society, 
371-372;  and  Robinson,  373; 
letters,  etc.,  357-359,  363-364, 
365-366,  368-369,  370,  371,  371- 
372,  372,  373 

Chapter  XIV. — Warren  warned 
not  to  consult,  374 ;  in- 
vited to  join  Warren's  Expedi- 
tion, 375  ;  report  on  his  services 
by  Sir  Charles  Warren,  376 ; 
attends  conference  with  Presi- 
dent Kruger,  377  ;  Mr  Rhodes 
and    the    Stellaland  petition 


in  favour  of,  378-380;  at 
Kuruman,  380  ;  his  services  in 
the  expedition,  381 ;  describes 
effect  of  expedition,  381,  382  ; 
at  Mafeking,  383 ;  threatened 
recall  of,  384  ;  letter  to  a  child, 
385,  386  ;  at  Shoshong,  386  ; 
work  for  and  with  Khame, 
387-388  ;  on  premature  close  of 
expedition,  389,  390  ;  hears  of 
W^arren's  "  progress  "  through 
Colony,  391,  392 ;  at  Cape 
Town,  392 ;  describes  dinner 
in  his  own  house,  393  ;  asks  for 
prayer,  394;  and  Mr  Stead, 
394;  letters,  381-383,  383-385, 
385-386,  387-388,  390-391, 
393,  394 

Chapter  XV. — In  England  again, 
395 ;  at  the  Colonial  Office, 
396  ;  and  W.  E.  Forster,  396  ; 
his  plan  of  campaign,  397 ; 
purpose  and  plan  of  book,  397, 
398  ;  and  Confederation,  399  ; 
the  two  first  Imperial  steps, 
399-400  ;  and  the  South  African 
Committee,  401  ;  in  Scotland, 
401  ;  before  Scottish  Geogra- 
phical Society,  401  ;  before 
Society  of  Arts,  402 ;  before 
Anthropological  Institute,  402  ; 
letters  to  Times^  402  ;  on 
Froude's  Oceana^  402-403  ;  and 
Dr  G.  B.  Clarke,  403 ;  and 
proposed  Royal  Commission  in 
South  Africa,  404-405  ;  and  his 
friend  Captain  Kirby,  405,  406, 
407  ;  on  W.  E.  Forster,  406  ; 
invited  to  stand  for  Parliament, 
407  ;  on  his  work,  408 ;  visit 
to  Leeds,  408 ;  and  Imperial 
Federation  League,  409 ;  at 
Portobello,  410  ;  writes  to  Lord 
Knutsford,  410-412;  finishes 
"Austral  Africa"  at  Montrose, 
412  ;  his  habit  of  work,  412  ; 
scope  of  the  book,  413-415; 
letters,  395-396,  396,  402,  402- 
403,  403-404,  404-405,  406-410 
(extracts),  410-412 

Chapter  ^F7.— Influence  of  his 
book,  416  ;  on  Lord  Rosebery, 
416,  417  ;  on  High  Commis- 
sionership,  417,  418  ;  describes 
lecture  before  Imperial  Federa- 
tion League,  418-420 ;  and 
Lord  Rosebery,  421-422  ;  before 


6o 


INDEX 


London  Chamber  of  Commerce, 
422-425  ;  and  Cape  Town 
tactics,  425-426;  on  "Com- 
munion," 426;  before  British 
Association,  426,  427 ;  at 
Portobello,  427 ;  feeling  his 
success,  427 ;  iDeginnings  of 
Chartered  Company,  428 ; 
letter  to  Lord  Salisbury,  429- 

431  ;  the  real  question,  429  ; 
political  significance  of  Bechu- 
analand,  430,  434 ;  proposes 
Walvisch  Bay  route,  431  ;  and 
South  African  Committee,  431- 

432  ;  and  proposal  for  Chartered 
Company,  432-435  ;  hears  from 
Lord  Milner,  433-434 ;  and 
from  Mr  Albert  Grey,  435  ; 
article  in  Contempo7-ary  Review, 

436  ;  varied  work  in  England 
and  breakdown  of  health,  436, 

437  ;  hears  of  arming  the 
Transvaal  Boers,  437,  438  ;  his 
"prophecy"  rejected,  438; 
letters,  etc.,  416-418,  418-420, 
421-422,  422,  425-427  (ex- 
tracts), 429-43i»  431-432,  432 

Chapter  X  VII . — Various  lectures, 

439,  440  ;  invited  to  meet  King 
of  Belgium,  439,  440 ;  his 
generous  act  towards  Chartered 
Company,  440-441  ;  writes  to 
the  Company  on  routes  into 
Rhodesia,  441,  442  ;  letter  from 
Mr  Albert  Grey,  442  ;  writes  to 
Lord  Knutsford  about  Walvisch 
Bay,  442  ;  pleads  for  Imperial- 
ism in  N.  Bechuanaland,  443  ; 
writes  to  Mr  Chamberlain 
thereon,  443-444  ;  describes  in- 
terview with  ^Ir  Chamberlain, 
445-446 ;  offer  of  appointment 
by  Missionary  Society,  447-448  ; 
offers  to  serve  Government  in 
Bechuanaland,  449-452 ;  offer 
declined,  452  ;  his  comments, 
453-456  ;  "  ready  for  Hankey," 
457  ;  his  work  on  reprint  of 
Bechuana  Bible,  457-459  ;  his 
spirit,  459 ;  letters  and  testi- 
monials, 460-462  ;  letters,  etc., 

440,  441-442,  443j  443-444, 
445-456,  446-447,  447-448, 
449-452,  453-456,  457»  458- 
459,  461-462;  his  report  to 
London  Missionary  Society  on 
his  work  from  1883  to  1891, 


appendix  to  chapter  xvii,, 
462-468 

Chapter  XVIIL  —  His  task  at 
Hankey,  471  ;  learns  Dutch, 

472  ;  his  devotion  to  new  duties, 

473  ;  accounts  of  his  negotia- 
tions  and   industrial  labours, 

474-  478  ;  enjoying  a  "day  off," 
479  ;  and  his  assistant,  479-480  ; 
efforts  to  obtain  railway  com- 
munication with  Hankey,  480- 
481  ;  and  to  obtain  a  "district 
survey,"  481-483;  description 
of  his  methods,  483-488  ;  efforts 
in  education,  488-491 ;  marriage 
of  his  second  daughter,  492  ; 
and  death  of  his  brother  and 
sisters,  492-493  ;   letters,  474, 

475-  477,  477-478,  479,  480, 
481-483,  49I5  492-493 

Chapter  XIX.  —  His  continued 
interest  in  "Imperialism"  for 
native  territories,  494  ;  joy  at 
Mr  Chamberlain's  appointment 
to  Colonial  Office,  494-495  ; 
protests  against  union  of  North 
Bechuanaland  to  Rhodesia, 
496-498  ;  article  in  Contempor- 
ary Review  on  Chartered  Com- 
pany's policy  in  Rhodesia,  498- 

502  ;  and  Transvaal  problems, 

503  ff ;  his  open  letter  to  Pre- 
sident Kruger,  503-508  ;  on  the 
Dutch  -  English  problem  in 
Colony,  508-509 ;  and  Lord 
Milner,  510;  on  the  Cape 
Colony  war  in  South  Bechuana- 
land, 510-514;  invited  to  work 
for  home  journals,  514;  article  on 
the  South  Bechuanaland  war  in 
Contemporary  Review,  514-515 

Chapter  XX. — And  the  Congrega- 
tional Union  of  South  Africa,  516; 
his  denominational  services,  517  ; 
his  address  as  chairman  of  the 
union,  517  ff;  on  the  "colour 
question,"  51S-520;  on  stock 
stealing,  519,  520;  his  last 
messages  to  the  Union,  521  ;  as 
a  preacher,  522 ;  on  Dutch- 
English  relations,  523-524  ;  on 
the  British  Empire,  525 ;  on 
personal  responsibility,  526  ; 
who  is  chief?  527-529  ;  the  next 
distinction,  530  ;  extracts  from 
addresses  and  sermons,  518- 
520,  523-524,  524-527,  527-530 


INDEX 


561 


Chapter  XXI. — Varied  elements 
of  his  character,  531-532  ;  his 
self-sacrifice,  532  ;  described  by 
a  friend,  533-534 ;  his  attitude 
to  Mr  Rhodes,  534-535  ;  on  Lord 
Rosmead's  death,  536 ;  and 
Lord  Milner,  536 ;  on  his  ill- 
ness, 540 ;  health  gives  way, 
540 ;  understands  his  danger, 
541;  more  work,  541-542; 
final  stroke,  goes  to  Kimberley 
and  dies  there,  542-543  ;  funeral 
and  memorial  service,  543  ;  wide 
appreciation  of  his  life-work, 
544;  "He  told  you  so,"  544- 
545  ;  what  remains  ?  546-547 
Mackenzie,  Mrs,  38,  48,  52,  69,  71, 

80,  81,  82,  106,  112,  153,  160, 

308,  314,  325,  328,  473,  479,  542 
Mackenzie,  Mr  James  Donald,  307, 

543 

Mackenzie,  Dr  J.  Eddie,  308,  314, 

542,  543 
M'Laren,  Mr  David,  13 
M'Niel,  Rev.  Niel,  5,  14 
Mafeking,  320,  332,  333,  343,  383, 

385,  425 

Makololo,  45,  56,  59,  61-67,  68,  70, 
72,  76 

Mankoroane,  209,  210,  252,  272 
(appeal  from),  287,  288,  293, 
3I7>  323*  327  (welcomes  Mac- 
kenzie) 

Marriages,  mixed,  23 

Mashonaland,  strategic  value  of, 
150,  176,  177 

Matabele,  45,  57,  78-85,  107,  123, 
137,  147-151,  174,  175.  176,  428, 
433»  435»  436,  497,  499 

Mills,  Sir  Charles,  417,  418 

Mills,  Rev.  J.  Grant,  439 

Milner,  Mr  Alfred  (now  Lord),  433, 
510,  536,  544 

Missionaries,  treatment  of,  by  Trans- 
vaal, 283 

Moffat,  Rev.  John  S.,  36,  44,  55, 
85,  86,  87-89,  92,  93,  5" 

Moftat,  Rev.  Robert,  D.D.,  38,  42, 
43,  46,  47,  48,  51,  53,  57,  58,  60, 
69,  70,  72,  74,  107,  179,  183,  186, 
193 

Moffat  Institution,  181,  182,  184, 
185,    186,    187,  188,    190,  192, 

193,  195,  196 
Montsioa,  252,  253,  331,  332,  360, 

361,  362 
Montrose,  260,  279,  412 

2 


Morley,  Mr  John,  265,  266,  267, 
277,  282 

Moselekatse,  60,  78,  79,  83,  86,  87- 
93,  107,  122,  123,  128,  137,  150, 
151 

Mullens,  Rev.  Joseph,  97,  102,  120, 
180,  181,  185,  191 

Native  Question,  The,  519,  520 
Niekerk,  J.  G.  van,  252,  254  ;  meets 
Mackenzie,  328  ;  reaches  Vryburg, 
329  ;  cross  -  questions  Macken- 
zie, 330 ;  offered  assistant  com- 
missionership,  331  ;  cunning 
methods  of,  331  ;  ''treasonable 
purposes  of,"  338  ;  and  Mr 
Rhodes,  353,  354,  355,  356,  360, 
361  ;    accused   of  murder,  380, 

381,  383,  384 
Nineteenth  Century^  The,  274-277 
Noble,  Mr  John,  249 
"  Northward,"  275 

Gates,  Mr  Charles  G.,  162,  163, 
254,  255,  303,  408,  479,  491,  492, 
502 

Pall  Mall  Gazette,  The,  283,  284, 

294,  309,  365 
Parker,  Dr  Joseph,  426 
Philip,  Rev.  Dr,  42 
Philip,  Rev.  J.  Frederick,  521 
Pittius  Gey  van,  252,  254,  353,  367 
Port  Elizabeth,  391,  469,  470,  480, 

482,  488 

Portobello,  34,  36,  38,   130,  132, 

259,  271,  410,  437,  459 
Pretorius,  President  M.  W.,  57,  58 
Price,  Rev.  Roger,  38,  52,  53,  54, 

56,  64-67,  76,  85,  95,  100,  lOI, 

108,  III,  127 
Pro-Transvaalers,    257,    262,  263 

(their  policy)  ;  attitude  to  native 

question,    266,    267,    276,    277  ; 

arguments  of,  266,  270-271 

"  Ra-Willie,"    native    name  for 

Mackenzie,  69 
Rawson,  Sir  Rawson,  418 
Reed,  Rev.  G.  Cullen,  419,  479, 

542 

Rhodes,  Mr  Cecil,  moves  for  a 
British  Resident  in  Bechuana- 
land,  287  ;  succeeds  Mackenzie, 
339;  wishes  to  "eliminate 
Imperial  factor,"  340,  341  ;  con- 
siders    Mackenzie    obstacle  to 


562 


INDEX 


peace,  344 ;  relies  on  letters 
from  Niekerk,  344 ;  sends  views 
about  Stellaland  from  Kimberley, 
345  ;  goes  to  Stellaland,  354 ;  is 
opposed  by  loyalists,  352  ;  goes  to 
the  enemy,  353  ;  their  bitterness 
against  Mackenzie,  353  ;  goes  to 
Goshen,  354  ;  but  stays  in  Trans- 
vaal, 354  ;  and  Montsioa,  354  ; 
returns  to  Niekerk,  354  ;  annuls 
Mackenzie's  official  acts  and  re- 
stores power  to  Niekerk,  354,  355  ; 
his  appointment  good  if — ,  357  ; 
would  help  Mackenzie,  371  ; 
Sir  C.  Warren  and  his  Niekerk 
agreement,  375  ;  attends  conference 
with  Mr  Kruger,  377  ;  his  strange 
treatment  of  the  Stellaland  peti- 
tion, 378,  379;  has  "a  fling," 
426 ;  proposes  Chartered  Com- 
pany, 432 ;  assures  Mr  Albert 
Grey,  433  ;  receives  charter,  435  ; 
and  Zollverem,  445 ;  his  Im- 
perialism, 446  ;  what  he  really 
means,  495 ;  and  the  Imperial 
Government,  497,  509  ;  his  double 
parts,  501  ;  and  the  Raid,  503 ; 
Mackenzie  and,  535 
obinson,  Sir  H.,  first  hears  from 
Mackenzie,  254  ;  first  meets  him, 
256,  281  ;  unconvinced,  281  ;  in 
London  Conference,  285,  288 ; 
approves  Mackenzie's  plan,  290  ; 
recommends  appointment  of 
Mackenzie  as  his  Deputy 
Commissioner,  300 ;  Mackenzie's 
letter  of  acceptance  to,  301  ;  his 
fear  of  British  taxpayer,  304 ;  leaves 
for  South  Africa,  306 ;  encourages 
Mackenzie,  312,  314;  strange 
belief  of,  317  ;  fears  of  hoisting  of 
flag  in  Stellaland,  339 ;  recalls 
Mackenzie,  339 ;  his  former 
accord  with  Mackenzie,  340 ;  is 
delighted  with  Mackenzie's  suc- 
cess, 341  ;  expects  visit  from 
Mackenzie,  342 ;  receives  news 
from  Niekerk,  342 ;  discourages 
visit  by  Mackenzie,  343 ;  fights 
for  Mackenzie,  344  ;  deserts  Mac- 
kenzie, 347  ;  uses  Mackenzie  after 
resignation,  356  ;  very  kind,  359  ; 
resists  Transvaal,  360  ;  growing 
firmer,  366 ;  proposes  Warren 
expedition,  367  ;  and  missionaries, 
368,  369  ;  suggests  Warren  avoid 
Mackenzie,    374,    375  ;  advises 


against  British  advance  beyond 
Molopo,  388;  and  High  Com- 
missionership,  404,  408,  409, 
425  ;  reappointment,  495  ;  and 
Imperial  Government  in  South 
Africa,  497 
Rodger,  Mrs  J.  Campbell,  492 
Rosebery,  Lord,  416,  417,  421, 
422 

Ross,  Rev.  James,  4,  5,  19,  23,  34, 

35,  36,  48,  75-77,  180,  216 
Rudd,  Mr,  428,  432 

Salisbury,  Lord,  429,  441 
Scanlen,   Sir  Thomas,   282,  287, 

290,  300,  313,  324,  348 
Schreiner,  MrT.,  391 
Schulenborg,  Rev.  Mr,  60,  69,  72, 

73»  74,  77,  95,  99 
Scotsjuan,  The,  292,  437 
Searle,  W.,  393,  424 
Sechele,  139-141,  179 
Sekhome,  78-85,  87,  99.  107,  108, 

116,   118,    119,    139,    151,  153, 

154 

Shaftesbury,  Lord,  270,  291, 
292 

Sheilds,  Mrs  E.  D.,  485,  541 
Shepstone,  Sir  T.,  137,  138 
Shippard,  Sir  Sidney,  451 
Shoshong,  60,  68,  69,  74,  78,  85, 
86,  95,  96,   107-118,   123,  128, 
129,    134,    135,  137,  139,  142, 
143,    145,   147,  151,  152,  155, 
160,   166,  168,    177,    182,  237, 
254,  386 
Smythe,  Sir  Leicester,  381 
South  African  Committee,  431,  432 

460,  461 
Southey,  Hon.  R.,  291,  292 
Spectator,    The,    282,    284,  406, 
535 

Spindler,    Mr  J.,  471,  476,  477, 

480 

Sprigg,  Sir  J.  Gordon,  357-358, 
429,  510,  567 

Stanley,  Colonel,  395,  396 

Stead,  Mr  W.  T.,  283,  284,  285, 
309,  35O;  369,  394,  402,  404 

Stellaland  Republic  (and  Stella- 
landers),  origin  of,  320,  321  ; 
sinister  flag  of,  321  ;  interest 
of,  in  Mackenzie,  315  ;  invaded 
in  a  mule-waggon,  325  ;  Pro- 
tectorate in,  announced,  328 ; 
negotiations  with,  329-331  ; 
authority  over,  vested  in  Volks 


INDEX 


563 


Committee,  336 ;  propose  to 
hoist  British  flag,  337 ;  call 
Mackenzie  "the  restorer  of 
peace,"  338 ;  people  of,  hoist 
British  flag,  338  ;  bitter  against 
Mr  Rhodes,  352,  see  British  flag 
removed  by  Captain  Bower,  354  ; 
plea  for  Mackenzie's  return, 
355  ;  still  loyal,  355  ;  handed  over 
to  Niekerk,  355,  356 ;  who  pro- 
poses annexation  of  to  Trans- 
vaal,   361-362;    petition  from, 

364,  369 
Stellenbosch,  363 
Stewart,  Rev.  Dr,  133 
St  Leger,  Mr,  393 
Sykes,  Rev.  W.,  38,  52,  55,  91,  92, 

149 

Territorial  Scheme,  Mac- 
kenzie's, 221-223,  229-230,  245- 
246,  276,  289,  296,  325,  434 

Terry,  Colonel,  292 

Theal,  Dr,  43,  44 

Thompson,  Mr  Joseph,  401 

Thompson,  Rev.  W.,  38 

Thompson,  Rev.  R.  Wardlaw,  371, 
390,  395>  448,  457,  462,  473.  474, 
540,  541 

Tidman,  Rev.  Dr  Arthur,  51,  53, 
56,  61-67,  68,  69-71,  71-74,  75, 
77.  78-85,  87-93,  107-115 
Times^  The,  290,  402,  420,  426 
Transvaal  (and  Transvaal  Govern- 
ment) and  Sand  River  Conven- 
tion, 43,  48,  57 ;  attitude  to 
missionaries,  43,  44,  57,  5^  ; 
threaten  to  attack  Kuruman,  55, 
57 ;  claims  vast  territory,  122, 
124,  127,  128 ;  astute  trick  of, 
128;  attempted  migration  from, 
173,  174;  designs  (1876)  on 
Mashonaland,i75,  176  ;  and  Great 
Britain,  204  ;  and  paramountcy  of 
chiefs,  209 ;  citizens  of,  invade 
Bechuanaland,  251,  252,  259, 
272 ;  their  methods,  252,  253  ; 
effect  of  its  Grondwet  or  Con- 
stitution, 253 ;  retrocession  of, 
250,  257,  258  ;  and  native  affairs, 
263 ;  breaking  Pretoria  Conven- 
tion, 263  ;  sends  deputation  to 
England,  278  ff.;  objects  of 
deputation,  279,  280,  281  (see 
Delegates) ;  desire  supremacy  in 
South  Africa,  285  ;  treaty  with, 
declined,  286 ;  convention  with. 


defined,  286 ;  desire  Bechuana- 
land, 287,  296 ;  recognised  as 
South  African  Republic,  286  ; 
debt  of,  remitted,  286 ;  and 
virtual  slavery,  291  ;  native 
policy,  295 ;  pledged  to  good 
treatment  of  natives,  299  ;  and  to 
observe  new  boundaries,  299 ; 
injured  by  territorial  expansion, 
312,  319  ;  marauders  from,  318  ; 
their  methods,  318 ;  embittered 
by  British  changefulness,  319 ; 
tolerates  border  depredations, 
335  ;  cause  of  failure  in  Bechu- 
analand, 351  ;  and  Bechuana- 
land, 358  ;  power  of,  in  Bechu- 
analand and  Cape  Town,  359  ; 
annex  Montsioa's  territory,  360  ; 
resisted,  360 ;  its  attitude  ex- 
plained, 360-361  ;  to  join  Con- 
federation, 400  ;  arms  its  burghers 
(1889),  438;  and  British  South 
Africa  Company's  policy,  503 ; 
and  Johannesburg,  503  ;  war 
with  Britain,  544 

Upington,  Sir  Thomas,  343,  345, 
351.  357,  367,  369 

ViLLiERS,  Sir  Henry  de,  424 
Vryburg,  320,  327,  337,  352,  353, 
356,  357.  380,  382 

Walvisch  Bay,  431,  441,  442 
Warren,  Sir  Charles,  192,  194,  208, 
240,  241,  242,  317,  318,  363, 
365.  367,  369.  370;  arrives  in 
Cape  Town,  374  ;  his  fitness  for 
task,  374  ;  asked  to  avoid 
Mackenzie,  374,  375  ;  discoveries 
disagreeable,  375  ;  invites  Mac- 
kenzie to  headquarters,  375  ;  his 
official  report  on  Mackenzie's 
services,  376 ;  confers  with 
President  Kruger,  377  ;  discovers 
and  tests  Stellaland  petition,  379  ; 
and  Mr  Rhodes,  380-381,  383, 
384 ;  at  Vryburg,  380 ;  and 
Niekerk  trial,  380,  383,  384  ;  and 
Mackenzie's  appointment,  384 ; 
at  Shoshong,  386  ;  and  Khame, 
387  ;  turns  southward,  388;  pre- 
mature  end   of  his  expedition, 

389  ;  quality  of  his  work,  389, 

390  ;  his  enthusiastic  reception 
in  Colony,  at   Kimberley,  e  c. 


564  INDEX 


391  ;  especially  Cape  Town,  391  ; 
speaks  for  Mackenzie,  392,  408, 
424,  431 

Whitehouse,Rev.  J.  O.,  199-202,  247 
Williamson,  Rev.  Alex.,  5 
Wodehouse,  Sir  P.  E.,  123,  125, 

127,  407 
Wood,  Tom,  104-106 


Wookey,  Rev.  A.  J.,  118,  212 
Wright,  Rev.  Dr  William,  458 

Young,  Mr  J.  S.,  475,  476,  477 

Zambesi  River,  45,  47,  67,  70, 
161,  243,  397,  407,  428,  429, 
433>  497 


TURNBULL  AND  SPEARS,  PRINTERS,  EDINBURGH. 


Date  Due 

! 

i 

